The Prophecy
by Spuxie
Summary: Thrice they will rise, and twice they will be overcome. Once shall they reunite, to bring war of sun too bright and overshadow the dark evil of the moon. Bella and Peter are born a third time and reunite despite distance and obstacle. Will they overcome their enemy with the help of the supernaturals marked with the Phoenix, or are they destined for a life overshadowed by darkness?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**A/N: _Spuxie is the penname on which all collaborative works of Spudzmom and ncbexie25 will be posted. We can also be found on Facebook under Laura Spudzmom and Bexie Mc :)_**

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><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>

**~ The Prophecy ~**

**~o0o~**

**Thrice the Sun shall rise for his Lioness,**

**Twice the Sun shall recede to Darkness' depth.**

**Thrice the Lioness shall seek her Sun,**

**And twice the Moon shall overshadow.**

**Once shall Lioness and Sun unite,**

**To bring war of Sun too bright.**

**For powers of light that be,**

**They shall unite that once and as is their will,**

**so mote they overcome,**

**The dark evil of the Moon.**

**~o0o~**

**October 31, 1993**  
><strong>~ The Underworld, Egypt ~<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

**~ O**siris sat upon his throne in the darkest depths of his domain, the underworld, his black gaze piercing the very psyche of the being knelt and trembling in front of him.

"The God Ra and his Goddess have been born again my Lord."

A cruel smile twisted Osiris' blackened lips.

"Wonderful, my faithful one. Retrieve him without delay. I will break him before he has a chance to reach maturity, I vow it. This time, he shall not survive to battle and the world will at last, be mine in eternal Darkness."

**~o0o~**  
><strong>October 31, 1993 ~ Peter ~ Houston, TX<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

Silence fell in the delivery room, the only sound heard, the squalling of a newborn infant.

The desperate query of the exhausted mother pierced the stillness, shaking all from their shocked silence.

"What is it? What is wrong with my baby? Tell me!"

The nurse approached hesitantly with the tiny bundle.

"Perhaps it's best to show you."

The desperate mother pulled the babe to her, hastily loosening the blanket, revealing a beautiful, perfectly formed baby boy, his head covered in downy blond hair.

She scowled at the nurse.

"I see nothing wrong with him! He's beautiful."

The nurse looked nervous. "Look at his back, Ma'am."

Gently, she turned him over, her breath catching in shock.

There, centered on the babe's back, was the perfect depiction of an Egyptian sun and on his inner wrist she noticed with mounting horror, a pentagram with what looked to be an Egyptian eye in the center, both marks seeming to glow from within.

**~o0o~**  
><strong>October 31, 1993 ~ Bella ~ Phoenix, AZ<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

Tears streamed down the woman's face as she labored to bring forth her first child; a daughter, she knew.

This was her miracle baby. She and her husband had tried for years to have a child without success. Truth be told, they had given up long ago.

"All right my dear. One more push like that last one and we're gonna have a baby. Deep breath in...and push!"

She grunted and screamed as she bore down with everything she had, finally collapsing back when she felt the babe leave her body, tears of joy mingling with the sweat on her face as an exhausted laugh escaped her.

Concern replaced her joy though as she heard the quiet comments of the Doctor and nurses, all made with surreptitious glances at her and her husband.

"What is it?" She was becoming frantic. "I want to see her. Give her to me!"

They handed the crying child over, laying her small form on her mother's chest.

Tears filled the mother's eyes. "Oh honey look! She's gorgeous!"

She lifted her dark haired daughter up to see her better and there, over the tiny babe's heart was a rearing lioness, with a depiction of the sun behind it and on her tiny wrist, a pentagram with what they recognized with fright, to be the Eye of Ra centered perfectly within. Strangest of all, both marks were glinting with a light all their own.

**~o0o~**  
><strong>October 31, 1998 ~ Peter ~ The Underworld<strong>  
><strong>5 Years Old<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

The small boy shivered in the cold, dank cell, his vivid blue eyes blinking open to the oppressive darkness that was a constant in his young life. Tears filled his eyes as he comprehended his reality yet again.

He always felt this way upon waking, the realization that the wonders he experienced while he slept were not real; not to him anyway.

His eyes widened in fear and he scrambled up curling into a ball on his sparse pallet at the sound of keys rattling in his cell door. He anticipated this daily visit while dreading it in equal measure.

It was time for him to eat, and he was very hungry… but they always beat him first.

He had never known any other way of life and probably never would were it not for his dreams. His dreams took him to a warm place where it was so bright it hurt the eyes and there, in that warm place, was a small girl with long, dark hair that curled around her shoulders. She was lovely and he was always captivated by her.

He had learned to speak from these dreams. He had learned everything he knew from these dreams. He'd had to since he'd been in this dark place since before he could remember. The dreams were his only source of comfort and knowledge; he only wished that he could stay in that dream world and never awake.

He curled in on himself as the dark, cloaked figure entered. He'd learned very early on to protect the most vulnerable parts of his body from the careless blows delivered while the cloaked figure hissed out venomous words and mocking laughter.

"Well boy, do you know what today is? No? Today is the day of your cursed birth. Five years I've had to spend my precious time feeding you and ensuring you don't think too highly of yourself and still, you do not die!" He screamed.

The little boy flinched from a sharp kick to his thigh, a whimper escaping him that he just couldn't stifle.

"Yes, whine and cry you pathetic little vermin. My greatest wish is to kill you but I cannot. I cannot even maim you or leave permanent marks. It's against the laws set forth from the prophecy." He sneered out with his thin lip curled in disgust.

He kicked him twice more before dropping a tray in front of the trembling boy. "Eat up you filthy little worm. I've better things to do than wait all day for you to finish."

The boy ate frantically, thankful that the food he was given was fresh and tasted good. He'd been informed one day, due to his guard's bitter rantings, that the quality and quantity of his food was also due to the rules set forth by the gods. His captors could not starve him, and for that small gift, he was grateful.

He drained the mug of milk with relish, placing it back on the tray as he grabbed his canteen of fresh water, immediately curling back into the tightest ball he could achieve. He certainly didn't want to take a blow to the stomach and lose all the food he'd just eaten. His guard had figured out that he could get around the rules that way and the boy had gone hungry for a few days until he'd caught on.

He shivered at the sound of his jailers evil chuckle as he exited the cell. "Have a wonderful birthday Peter." He sneered.

With that, he slammed the door and left, his chilling laughter fading into dark, hollow silence.

The boy laid back on his pallet, tears making tracks in the dirt on his face as he closed his eyes, desperately seeking the peace of sleep and the comfort and light of his dreams.

**~o0o~**  
><strong>October 31, 1998 ~ Bella ~ Phoenix, AZ<strong>  
><strong>5 Years Old<strong>  
><strong>~ By ncbexie25 ~<strong>

It was nighttime when the little, doe-eyed girl of five years crept downstairs and out the back door of her house. She'd been able to hear her parents sleeping as she passed their room on her way to the stairs, so she knew that she would be safe to go out into the Dark again.

She made the mistake of looking up at the Moon, whimpering immediately and looking down as she heard the voices—bemoaning, dark, and taunting. It was best to look away and get to her spot under the overhang of the trees when she did this.

To her, it felt as though her breathing was so very loud when she sat down, hunched against her tree.

Immediately, she reached for the long sleeve of her shirt and pulled it back, revealing her wrist and the mark that lay her, imprinted on her skin since her birth, she'd been told.

She stared in awe, her mouth open in a cute round circle of wonder as her finger reached to trace the symbol. She didn't know what it meant, and her parents would never tell her when she asked, but it was just so... pretty.

Especially when it lit and glowed at nighttime—it was the only reason why she came out into the Dark. She hated the Dark, but her mark made her feel safe.

She glanced toward the house, her hair a curtain falling around her, obscuring her face almost completely as she angled her head down, eyes intent as she traced the glinting mark. Her eyes caught on the muted glow emanating from her chest, and her lips fell open in wordless wonder as she reached up and pulled her top down just a little. She frowned. It was harder to see that mark.

All of a sudden, the glow grew brighter, and her skin felt hotter as she whimpered. She burrowed herself in on herself, looking up toward the brilliant, glowing Moon, shrouded by the protective trees. She didn't like this feeling she always got. It was a daily occurrence, but it was worse on her birthday. She didn't understand why, but she knew she didn't like it.

The feeling grew stronger and tears welled in her eyes as she rested her forehead on her knees, her breaths growing shorter as she breathed out and in hot air. She could hear the taunts again, but for some reason, she knew they weren't talking to her. It was like she was listening in on something.

She whimpered and clutched at her knees even harder. Her chest and wrist glowed stronger, brighter, and her whimpers turned into scary, growling sounds as she felt the anger build up inside her. She didn't know why, but she really wanted to protect the poor victim of the voice's taunts. She just didn't know how, and that made her sadder and angrier than she'd ever known or felt before.  
>She cried out, the feeling growing stronger to the point of pain before abruptly disappearing completely. Then she gasped, stopping even her breath as her eyes sought her house. She groaned to herself when she saw the light of her parent's bedroom turn on, and she got up quickly but made no move toward it.<p>

From the door, only a few minutes later, she heard, "Isabella, come inside this minute! It's late, and you need sleep, sweetheart."

She sighed but did as she asked, never sparing another glance toward the evil globe in the sky as she escaped from the Dark.

As she was tucked into bed, she did not listen to her mother's words of caution and venting anger, instead she concentrated on her own thoughts of what she had felt tonight—again.

And those thoughts stayed with her until she fell asleep. Her dreams taunted her again with words she could not understand at her tender age, and when she woke up again, she had forgotten all about it.

**~o0o~**  
><strong>October 31, 2006 ~ Peter ~ The Underworld<strong>  
><strong>13 Years Old<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

Sounds of exertion pierced the dark silence as the boy worked his changing body into exhaustion. Exercise had become a salvation of sorts for him. He had found that as he got older, the ability to sleep for hours upon end had left him and that unfortunate development had left him with many lonely hours with nothing to do to fill them. Working his body had solved that problem, but also provided the unanticipated outlet for the rage that had begun to fill him when he'd become old enough to really think and reason.

He growled in frustrated anger as he worked, his mind whirling with thoughts of his situation and how unjust it was. Why had he been singled out and condemned to grow up in such a hellish environment? He was but a babe when brought here. Surely then, it wasn't due to anything he had done.

He'd heard mention over the years, about a prophecy and all the rules his jailers had to follow where he was concerned. Perhaps he was here due to this Prophecy? It was the only conclusion he could draw, though he'd never been told his part in it, if any. The rules they had to abide by however, and his dreams, had been the only small comfort he'd had during his time here. All the rest had been sheer hell.

He couldn't quite decide which was worse; the constant verbal abuse or the physical, and as sweat ran into his eyes, he concluded that they were equally as painful, though he knew the former had left marks upon his soul. Marks that he would carry with him for the rest of his days.

He flipped over on his threadbare pallet, changing from sit-ups to push-ups as his thoughts went to his dreams. They remained the literal bright spot in his life; he could literally feel the light and warmth through them and they always made the mark on his wrist glow brightly and grow warm. Curiously, the whole middle of his upper back would grow warm too, and it made him wonder if there was a mark there also.

He felt himself smile. Just thinking of the dreams and the beautiful girl he always saw in them allowed him to smile; a rarity for him, to be sure.

He had learned her name from the dreams a few years ago; Isabella. He repeated the beautiful name in his mind with reverence and his heart ached as he wondered if she was real, or if his beautiful dreams were just another cruelty in his life. He knew if he ever discovered that the hope he held in his heart for her to be real was all for naught, it would finally accomplish what his jailers had failed to achieve all these many years; it would kill his will to live, and he would allow himself to die.

He had come very close to doing just that a few years ago. He had fallen into such a despair, that he had refused to eat for days and that was all it took to put him at deaths door. It had been a vivid dream of the girl telling him to fight... to fight for her... to live for her, that had brought him out of it and he had begun eating again, much to his jailers chagrin.

He had tried to escape after he'd regained his health, but found, in a rather rude way, that he could not. It seemed that there was a supernatural force holding him here and he couldn't cross the threshold no matter how hard he tried. It had been a crushing blow to realize that, even with his door wide open and no guards in sight, he still could not escape.

He shifted around and had just begun doing one legged squats when he heard the dreaded sound of the key in the lock.

Quickly moving to the corner, he stood straight and as tall as he could, keeping his face void of expression as the vile jailer made his way through the door.

After dropping his tray to the floor, he moved to stand directly in front of the boy, towering over him, his foul breath bathing the boy's face as he stared down into it.

Without word or warning, the jailer delivered a stinging slap to the boy's face, the sound of the blow echoing and fading into the inky black shadows.

"Happy thirteenth birthday, Peter. I hope you enjoy your gift. That was just a preview."

With that said, he began to laugh as he slapped and kicked, always seeming to know just how far he could go to avoid any punishment from the gods.

In Peter's mind, it was always taken too far and his rage built as the blows kept coming. Finally, he felt something deep within snap and he roared out as golden flames bright as the Sun shot from his hands, setting the vile jailers body aflame.

Peter caught his breath, eyes wide in shock at what he'd done before finally smiling maliciously at the screaming and flailing jailer, watching with ice-cold, vivid blue eyes as the jailer slowly burned to death. He even went so far as to sit next to his tray and eat his meal, all the while watching as the flames consumed the hated creature.

He was just finishing his milk when two more jailers burst into his cell.

"What happened here you disgusting little shit?!"

Peter looked at the jailers, his eyes cold and hard as ice as he held his hand out, flames dancing in his palm.

"Happy Birthday to me. That's what happened."

**~o0o~**  
><strong>October 31, 2006 ~ Bella ~ Phoenix, AZ<strong>  
><strong>13 Years Old<strong>  
><strong>~ By ncbexie25 ~<strong>

Her eyes snapped open.

"Peter!"

The girl gasped as she was shattered out of her dream, her breath coming out in pants as she sat up in her bed. Her eyes were wide as her mind tried to comprehend what she had just dreamed.

The struggle was that these dreams that she had been having for quite a while now always felt so impossibly real. But surely, they were just dreams, right?

Right?

She sighed and fell back onto the bed again, staring up at the ceiling. She hissed as she felt the familiar heat in her wrist and on her breast, brightening the darkened room. Her marks always lit up after her dreams.

She glanced down at them, and bit her lip. Normally, she would hide under her covers and stare at them for hours on end, reveling at the beauty of their raw and unrestrained, glowing power.

But tonight she just couldn't make herself. She was frustrated, feeling much the same as Peter. But unlike him, there was nothing she could do about it at… she looked at the clock and sighed.

1:00

So, doing her best to ignore the glowing, the fire, and her feelings, she looked out toward the window, lips parted. Her mind was still reeling after her violent dream. Her heart ached for the boy of her dreams who was exactly the same age as her. She wondered if he were out there somewhere in the world, or if he was just a fabrication of the mind.

She rolled onto her stomach, facing away from the Moon—she didn't have time for the stupid voices tonight, nor did she want to be tempted to go outside as was still her almost-nightly ritual. She snorted at herself. There was no way he was real.

But…

Her mind turned back to the many, many dreams that she'd had of the boy. And there had been many over the years.

She smiled as she remembered the first time she had ever dreamed of him. She had immediately loved the boy, loved Peter. He'd been hunched up in a corner, tears falling from his eyes and trailing down his cheeks only to sizzle when they fell to the ground he sat on. He seemed unaffected by the obvious heat of it and of the very air around him as he'd eyed the fire in the corner of his little cell, so very small and so very frightened.

She could sympathize with him, she found. She knew what it was to be scared, to be utterly alone. And when she'd dreamed of his beatings, she could sympathize with him on his pain—though hers was hardly ever physical.

It was true that she was severely bullied at school... and that people generally seemed to accept it as rule to be frightened of her. Very rarely that fear manifested into physical violence from the other students.

And when it happened, it was so strange. The sensations that she felt from within herself, from around herself… they were all encompassing, they were protective, and they were so hot; like fire.

But somehow she could still feel a love to it. Like it was protecting her, but doing so out of love.

Each time she'd look up at the ball of fire in the sky and wonder to herself if the Sun was beating down on her bullies, if maybe it was protecting her in the only way she knew.

Heat.

Fire.

Her mind flickered away from those thoughts with a shake of her head, and she concentrated on other dreams.

She would never acknowledge her feelings for Peter. That was just too painful, and brought up too many questions of 'what if' and 'maybe.' She didn't know what she'd do as she grew older, so she simply disregarded that part of her.

It was silly to fall in love with the fictional.

She, too, had overheard through her dreams of him of a prophecy, but she had no idea where to begin in trying to find out what it was about. She wasn't even sure if she believed in it… but she had felt such a raw power, such a need to protect Peter—as if it were her life goal, as if her very life depended on her doing so—that she wasn't sure if she could accept that it wasn't real.

Add to that the fact that when she had dreamed of his starvation, and felt the pain of having failed to protect him from all his hurt, he had heard and listened to her cries for him to fight for her, to live for her.

It had added such a sweet feeling of hope when, the next time she had dreamed, she had watched him eat and fight. She had protected him. She could scarcely get her mind past those four words. She had protected him.

She felt fulfilled. For the first time in a very long time she had felt as if she wasn't listlessly living such a half-life day in and day out. She felt as though she had finally done something in her life.

And she wasn't even sure if it was real or not.

She sighed again. It was all probably just her mind's own creation to compensate for her crushing loneliness. She had no friends, labeled a freak and constantly bullied as she was.

Yeah, she thought to herself as she settled back down to sleep. That's all it is.

Her last thought was a muted happy birthday to herself—and Peter—as she eyed the clock on her bedside table until her eyes grew heavy and sleep took over.

**Your thoughts and comments are appreciated. Don't worry, it's a bit dark now but this story will be a happily ever after. :-) Keep in mind, this story is complete and will be updating on a regular basis.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Hi everyone!**

**Thanks to the response, though we'd love to see more of what you really think in the form of a review. :) Let us know!**

**We've decided to update about every 2 or 3 days, because it's all written and we know how we're dividing chapters now. **

**We hope you all like it... and here's the second chapter! After this one, it will most likely be divided as one chapter-one POV. **

**See you down the bottom! Enjoy! :)**

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><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>  
><strong>October 31, 2011 ~ Peter ~ The Underworld<strong>  
><strong>18 Years Old<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

He was just putting the finishing touches on his latest wall etching when his daily tray slid through the slot in his door. A bitter smirk twisted his lips. The cowards. They never set foot in his cell any more. Not since he'd turned 13 and his power had manifested.

Oh, it wasn't as though they'd learned their lesson with the first jailer he'd toasted, but after the third…they'd installed the slot and no one had set foot in his cell since.

Placing his 'etching tool'—which was really a fork he had pilfered from his tray— down, he went and took a seat on his pallet, pulling the tray close so that he could relax back as he ate. At least he didn't have to practically inhale his food as he use to when he was small. He now had ample time to enjoy each bite as he studied his first completed etching that covered the opposite wall of his cell. It was a depiction of a pentagram, such as the mark on his inner wrist. He'd even carved the eye into the center.

He still, to this day, had no idea what any of it meant, nor why his body was marked in such a way, but he could certainly speculate. He knew the girl he'd always dreamed of had the same mark on her inner wrist and he figured the two of them were connected by more than just dreams; or at least, they were meant to be. His growing up in this dank, dark cell sort of hampered the development of relationships.

He scoffed quietly at his thoughts, reaching for his mug of milk as his thoughts turned bitter and sarcastic for a moment. He tried not to get this way. He tried to stay positive, but it was damned difficult when he'd been locked in this stone cell his entire life with no hope of escape and no human contact. Well, no tangible human contact, that is.

There were the dreams of course, which he'd continued to learn from. It seemed that whatever Isabella was learning at the time was always conveyed to him as he slept; everything from school subjects to the meditation and martial arts she had taken up over the years.

He knew that she'd had trouble with other kids bullying her over the years. It was just one more thing that made him feel a kinship with her. After all, who would know better than he the cruelty of human kind?

He'd always wished that he could help when he witnessed such mistreatment of her, but his thoughts and feelings were all he had. It was never enough and his frustration had built through the years. He felt inadequate, helpless to stop her pain and that was a terrible feeling.

He smiled a wan smile as he took in the likeness of her beautiful face he'd etched into the wall next to where he slept. He reached out and traced her face with gentle fingers. He could never do her justice, but he'd come close enough that the image brought him comfort during his waking hours, when he was without his dream connection to her; for that's exactly what it was he was now sure…a connection. She was real, very real and living her life somewhere in the world at this very moment and that knowledge gave him the hope and will to go on each day.

He was distracted from his thoughts by a package sliding through the slot in the door. It was wrapped in brown paper and bound with twine. He reached over and picked it up. It was clothing. He didn't have to guess. As the years had progressed and his growth had accelerated, his jailers had begun to provide new clothing for him each year, always on his birthday. He was now eighteen years old.

He stared off into the middle distance, his mind numb with the realization that he'd been here for so long and not only that, but also the knowledge that, for him, there was no end in sight as long as he drew breath.

Shaking himself quickly from the depressing train of his thoughts, he decided to meditate. He had found that the practice helped immensely with his frame of mind and allowed him to try to connect with a well of power deep within himself that he'd only recently discovered. It was something that he wanted to make a permanent connection with because he just knew, somehow, that it would be a necessity someday.

Relaxing his whole body, he concentrated on clearing his mind. This part had been very difficult for him to achieve when he'd first begun the practice. After all, what else did he really have but his own thoughts and company. How do you clear that after so many years of living inside your own head? It took time and practice, but he'd finally mastered it and now he could be cleared and centered, sinking deep within himself within scant minutes of beginning, just as he was now.

Further and further he went, deep within himself as he searched out that well of power that he knew to be at his center.

He was so far within himself that he never even realized when he began to whisper an ancient chant, the language so old that it had been lost to mankind for millennia.

So far within that he missed the anguished and angered shouts that echoed from the throne room of the Underworld.

So far within that the heat and light emanating from his body never registered in his conscious mind and neither did the frantic pounding on his cell door.

The desperate guards, frantic at the sounds of their Lord's anguished cries, finally overcame their fear enough to open his door, only to gasp and stumble back at the heat and light that overwhelmed and blinded them.

What they missed, what they could not see, would have put the fear of the great Sun God Ra into them; the boy, who was now a young man, had finally found and connected with his center, the ancient power that lived inside him, and was now at peace for the very first time in this life.

**~o0o~**  
><strong>October 31, 2011 ~ Bella ~ Phoenix, AZ<strong>  
><strong>18 Years Old<strong>  
><strong>~ By ncbexie25 ~<strong>

Bella was left panting as she felt the sudden surge of heated power running through her veins. She looked down at her hands, flipping them palm and back, and then again a few times. She wondered what that had meant.

"Bella! Time to go to school, darling!"

She sighed to herself and got her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "Coming, Mom!"

Adequately distracted by the prospect of another unpleasant day, all thoughts of the strange experience left her. Her mind was preoccupied with the lessons that followed in the morning and into the afternoon, as she immersed herself in her work as she always did. She spent the day as she always did—quiet, reserved, and utterly alone. She had learned to ignore the stares and whispers that exploded around her like a steady, constant hum.

And yet, all through school, she still felt the strange sensation, that hum of power, that she had felt this morning. It was diluted as time went on, but it was always there, a constant.

At lunch, she meditated, or tried to—she found herself distracted by the hum of heated, almost electric power still. She could barely focus her thoughts, and found that, as she walked around the school grounds during lunch, her eyes, and her ears—hell, all of her senses—zoned in on the different people. She was alert, almost as if she could sense the possible danger around her. She could hear every word of people she passed by, even if they were on the other side of the courts, and it was the same for her eyes—she could see much farther.

It was strange, but she forced herself not to panic. It was easy, really; she was so used to the strange.

Her mom picked her up once school was finished, and dropped her off at the Martial Arts building. She'd been taking classes for the past few years, having approached her parents about it a few months after the second incident with the Sun when she was being bullied.

Since she had started, the bullies had stayed away, and she had felt empowered. She started to recognize and, dare she think it, revel in their fright of her. As long as she intimidated them, she was safe.

As she got dressed for her lesson, she allowed herself to think of Peter, smiling to herself as she pictured him. Their relationship was a strange one, if you could even call it a relationship. She still wasn't totally convinced that he was actually real—she couldn't allow herself to hope and be disappointed for the rest of her life if he wasn't, if the dreams stopped.

So much had changed… so much had grown.

Ever since her thirteenth birthday, she had felt as though something was different. There was an aspect to the dreams that she felt was suddenly being shrouded… but she couldn't be sure what it was. All she knew was that whatever it was, it felt awfully important.

Added to that was the deeper connection she had forged with Peter. They now had a way of communicating. Well, kind of. It wasn't verbal, and it wasn't even straight forward.

But there was a heightened connection, and it didn't even seem completely… normal.

She didn't know how, but she could hear his voice in the dreams… and the words he spoke resonated within her. She could just never remember the exact phrasing once she woke up.

She blushed as she thought that her favorite dreams were the ones where she watched him drawing her on the rocks of his cell walls… or when he was working out, the sweat pouring and making his clothes cling to him like a second skin. Her whole body lit up at just the thought.

Bella took a calming breath to steady herself, shaking her head to clear it of her thoughts. She needed to focus.

The moment she entered the huge practice room, she knew something was going to happen. She felt all her senses heighten, alerting herself to some sort of half-danger. She knew she would have to protect herself.

She eyed the other male in the room with her teacher, and realized what it was that she would have to 'protect' herself from. Her teacher had warned her of this.

Today she would fight with someone else.

She felt a steady heat growing hotter and gasped as she felt her marks searing. Looking down at them, Bella saw that they were glowing perhaps brighter than they ever had. It was almost blinding.

She looked back at her opponent, his back still to her, and then around the room, looking for any advantages she might have. There were none.

Part of her mind registered that this was no big deal. It wasn't like this man would hurt her, that was not what this was about. It was about assessing her skills in martial arts. But yet still some part of her felt a raw, electrifying power steadily rising within her very core, a heat resonating from somewhere deep inside her. It was a feeling that, before today, she had felt to only a very small degree. It was so much stronger now after her dream of Peter's own power growing and connection more fully with his own core. Was it possible that her power—whatever it was—was also strengthening and manifesting fully within her as a direct result? She had always felt protective of him; as if it were duty… was it possible that she would now manifest a power of some sort in order to be able to do that?

She snorted at herself, as she so regularly did when thoughts such as these arose within her mind. That was utter bullshit. There was just no way that that would happen. It was a dream. That was all.

But then those thoughts were irrelevant… because she was going to face her opponent whether she was ready or not.

Her teacher introduced them, and she eyed him, her eyes surveying him for his strengths and weaknesses. There was an ancient power that she did not recognize—that she was not ready for—that was a fierce warrior, fierce protector. This—combat—was what she knew.

And then they were to begin. She stood, waiting for his advance, and for a few moments, he did the same. But when he threw the first leaping kick, her senses were alert as they had never been before, and the power that she had felt the entire day manifested—physically, much as Peter's had.

All of a sudden, in a rush of motion and something she could not identify at that moment, her opponent was several feet away from her, on his back.

She gasped and looked at him, blinking, before looking back down at herself. Her eyes widened even further until it was like her eyes were popping out of her head when she saw it.

A faint, glimmering, blue barrier… like a protective glove… and it was surrounding her body, receding to conform around her body, the color disappearing when it did so. But it had formed a perfect circle around her body surrounding her body and a few feet around her just moments before.

Bewildered though she was, for the very first time in her life, she felt truly empowered and confident. No one could touch her now. Not if she didn't want it.

She couldn't know it was the power of the Goddess Ra, wife of God Ra, which was just awakening within the depths of her soul.

**~o0o~**  
><strong>October 31, 2014 ~ Peter ~ The Underworld<strong>  
><strong>21 Years Old<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

The young man sat in the center of the pentagram he'd drawn with golden flames conjured from his own hands, a gentle glow emanating from his body, filling the cell with a soft, golden light. He was 21 today.

In the years since his eighteenth birthday, when he'd connected fully to his core, he'd mastered the command of the power he'd discovered within and could now wield it with precision.

He stared down at his hands that rested atop his knees, palm up and relaxed. They were clean, as was his entire body; free from all filth and impurities. He smiled. It was a very welcomed benefit of the heat and flame that lived inside him. Before his eighteenth birthday, when his power had only manifested in dire circumstances, he hadn't realized just how filthy and revolting he'd been since to him, it had been a normal way of living. He'd never known any different, but now he reveled in simply being clean.

His thoughts moved to the pentagram depicted with the low controlled flames he'd used to fashion it. The knowledge of the pentagram and its use had come to him during one of his many meditation sessions and afterward, he'd felt a compulsion to draw it out and use it when he meditated or practiced with his power. For some reason, doing so made him feel more connected with the light and open sky that he knew to exist, though he'd never witnessed them with his own eyes. Still, centered as he was within it, he could feel his power reaching… growing… resonating; it was a feeling like no other he'd ever experienced and he soon came to anticipate the times when he allowed himself the luxury.

There were also those times when he would simply sit, perfectly centered and just relax. Usually when he did this, he would feel a gentle hum all around and even through his body. He would always try to do this just before going to sleep because it allowed him to relax so completely. It felt as though every cell in his body had just had a gentle massage and he reveled in the comfort of it.

Bringing himself from his random thoughts, he decided it was time to exercise his gift and mind, just as he exercised his body in the earlier hours of his day.

However, just as he was beginning his controlled breathing, he heard his tray slide through the slot in his door. He sighed. Meditation and practice would have to wait. It was time to eat and he couldn't afford to skip a meal, not with the physical and supernatural demands he put upon his body and mind.

Rising gracefully to his feet, he lazily waved a hand, smiling as the low flames of his pentagram extinguished at once. Perhaps it was ridiculous to enjoy such a simple thing, but being trapped within these four stone walls for his entire life as he'd been, he'd learned to appreciate pleasures no matter how small.

This explained the approach he took to eating his one meal a day. Ever since they'd left him in peace…he smirked wickedly to himself and rephrased the thought in his mind…Ever since he'd toasted the absolute shit out of three of the jailers, he'd been able to slow down and savor each bite of food on the tray. He never rushed through his meals now and he vowed that he never would again.

As he ate slowly and with relish, he allowed his thoughts to wander to Isabella, perfectly picturing her beautiful face and form in his mind. He thought about her rare smiles and captivating laugh that she'd bestowed on him through their dream connection and his heart ached to hold her and love her in the real world. He sighed and shook his head, bringing himself back to the present. It wasn't good to let himself dwell in thoughts of her for too long.

He'd had to establish limits on the time he spent thinking of her because it had become almost painful for him to do so. There was a longing so deep in his soul for her that he found himself slipping into despair at his inability to see her with his own eyes or touch her creamy skin. The more he thought about her, the more unbearable his circumstances became to him and such a development was not a positive for his state of mind.

He wasn't exactly sure why, but he knew that he had to stay positive, had to stifle any despairing thoughts. He felt down deep that it was vital, to not only his well being in this place but for the future, whatever that may hold. And so, during his waking hours, he allowed himself only the briefest snippets of thought concerning her and consoled himself with the knowledge that he would see her in his dreams. This had to be enough…for now.

Finally finished with his meal, he rose from his pallet and centered himself in the pentagram once again. Raising both hands, he concentrated on conjuring the flames, watching in pleasure as the fiery circles and lines manifested around him.

Resettling his hands atop his knees, palms up, he began his controlled breathing, his mind clearing almost in an instant, allowing him to sink into his center within moments.

The glow from his body brightened and a gentle wind began to circulate in the cell, softly mussing and whipping his shoulder length blond hair around his head and face. He took no notice though, so deep into his center was he.

He also never noticed when his body began to slowly rise from the stone he was sat upon, nor when an ancient chant fell from his lips, his head tilting back slightly as he raised his hands to the unseen sky above.

The flames of the pentagram rose higher and higher, surrounding their master's body as the volume of the chant rose in equal measure with the wind that now whistled around him in the cell.

His voice was almost a shout now as the words to an ancient prophecy began to pour forth from him in the controlled chaos. A prophecy that was being spoken by Isabella at precisely this same moment, thousands of miles away.

_Thrice the Sun shall rise for his Lioness,_

_Twice the Sun shall recede to Darkness' depth._

_Thrice the Lioness shall seek her Sun,_

_And twice the Moon shall overshadow._

_Once shall Lioness and Sun unite,_

_To bring war of Sun too bright._

_For powers of light that be,_

_They shall unite that once and as is their will,_

_so mote they overcome,_

_The dark evil of the Moon!_

With the sound of the last shouted word of the prophecy echoing off the walls, the flames engulfed his body completely and his breath caught as the overwhelming feeling of spinning and falling overtook him. He only experienced the barest moment of fear however, as he lost consciousness, his vivid blue eyes rolling back and closing as his body went slack.

Thus the bulk of his journey was made in peaceful oblivion.

Thus was he ignorant of landing in a heap at his final destination.

Thus was he unaware of the gentle, trembling touch to his face.

The very first touch from the mate of his soul…

The girl he'd loved forever…

Isabella.

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><p><strong>And with that, we leave you for a few days. ;)<strong>

**As I said up the top, thanks for your interest, and I hope we see a more comments from you all! We both do so love our reviews; it's the real cherry on top with his whole Fanfiction writing thing, haha!**

**As always, if you like what you read here, alert us as an author because there are more collaborations to come!**

**Spuxie.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Hi again,**

**Thanks for your continued interest and support, and of course your reviews! **

**This one is a bit shorter, but we've established that from here on out, we are updating with each chapter as one POV and as such, the length of the chapter will grow as we get further into the story. Also, the person who updates will be the one who wrote that chapter/POV, just in case you were wondering.**

**Hope you are enjoying the story, and with nothing else to say, we leave it to you to read... see you down the bottom!**

* * *

><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>  
><strong>October 31, 2014 ~ Bella ~ Sedona, AZ<strong>  
><strong>21 Years Old<strong>  
><strong>~ By ncbexie25 ~<strong>

A smile flittered across Bella's face when her back door slammed behind her as she made her way into the woods again. Her marks were glowing again, and something was pulling her deeper and deeper into the thick coverage of the woods, shielding her from the bright Moon's glare.

She was twenty-one today.

Ever since the incident on her eighteenth birthday with her shield, she had slowly grown to know, understand, and work with it. Now she could use it by will, and not just when a threat was perceived imminent. Accepting it was easy—for her, at least. But it was safe to say that it only worried—or freaked out—her parents even more, and she could hardly stand their stares. Suffice to say she had moved out just a few weeks later after graduation.

She hadn't looked back.

It was here, in her little cottage surrounded by forest and thick underbrush that she truly thrived. She used her surroundings as a way of building her supernatural talents and as a shield against the voices and the glares of the Moon at times such as these—nevertheless, she was always drawn out into it.

She sat down against a tree trunk, drawing her legs into a cross-legged seated position. Glancing up quickly, she pulled her shirt sleeve back, the finger of her other hand reaching and caressing the soft skin of her mark. It was strange, the feel of it. It wasn't raised or bumpy or a different texture to any other part of her skin. It was like it was just a part of her—a fundamental part of her skin that was destined to be there.

It comforted her, somehow.

As did her growing dreams of Peter.

She blushed at the thought. Over the years, she had truly come to love him, and she mourned the fact constantly due to her own utter loneliness.

She sighed longingly. She moved away from the tree trunk into the cleared patch between the two trees. And then she reached for the closest stick, stood, and drew. She had no idea what had come over her, but it was something she did most nights she came out here—whenever she thought of Peter.

It was a compulsion that completely overtook her—and she wasn't sure why exactly it came at the times that it did. She could only hope it was because Peter was using it at the same time.

She knew she had started using the pentagram before Peter had. She also knew that it somehow made him feel more connected to the light and open sky, more in touch with his own power—feeling it reach and grow and resonate. She found she felt the same thing when he'd started to do so… everything was heightened. She felt more connected to him.

When she stood in the center she felt what she craved—she felt as though she was wrapped in his arms, she could feel the heat of his fire-making palms on her skin. She absolutely loved it—especially the feelings the sensation evoked.

Sometimes, she touched herself. Others, she would simply bask in the feeling, all loneliness leaving her. It was magical.

She only wished he was truly there to take care of her—in every way.

It disrupted her sleep sometimes; even more so when she would dream of him to the point of arousal only to wake up. It was mostly when she watched him use his power, or exercise—or really anything, considering a lot of the time, he wasn't wearing a shirt. And he was… well, he looked just perfect.

Bella's whole being hummed as she closed her eyes and stepped into the middle of the pentagram. It had been too long since the last time she had worked with her powerful gift, and she needed an entirely clear mind in order to reach the level she was after. She wanted to get further, more, today.

Despite her good intentions, within minutes Bella gave in to thinking about Peter. She giggled when she recalled his pleasure at toasting his prisoners, and delighted in how much more confident he was. Yes, he was perhaps a little bitter and rough around the edges—but so was she. She was completely alone in the world, and had no knowledge of a way to reach the man she loved. Some days, she was sure she was doomed to a life alone.

When those sorts of thoughts came to her, they were always accompanied by a deep longing in her very soul—an ache, almost like a hole was there, completely void and waiting for him to fill it. She so whispered it was possible.

Her eyes snapped open and she sighed harshly. She needed to calm herself, stick with the positive… not dwell on those sorts of things at this moment in time. It was integral for her future. Something, she didn't know what, was banking on it.

She sat down, resting her hands on her knees with her palms facing up to the Moon. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to fall back into the familiar pattern of controlled breathing, her practiced mind erasing all thought. Within moments, she was centered and in touch with her soul and her power.

With her eyes closed, and in such a trance, she had no idea of what happened next. She felt not the gentle wind picking up, in an almost cyclonic fashion, circling her body, and making her hair whip around. Nor the way the brightest glow of her marks spread throughout the rest of her body, growing brighter and brighter. And indeed, she did not realize when her body began to rise from the earth she was seated on… or when an ancient chant fell from her parted lips, the words having been released from the dreams and into her conscious, where previously her mind had been wiped of the memory of the words.

Her shield was in havoc. It shimmered, closing around the pentagram, protecting her and it, and unknowingly preparing for what was to come.

Her voice grew louder and louder, but to the world around her, there was dead silence. It was almost funny how such an important part of history was only sensed by the supernatural beings and the elements of the world.

The profundity of the moment was lost in Bella. She had no idea until she felt a sharp fire burning through her soul as her lioness was awakened. The ancient prophecy embedded within Bella fell from her lips in the roar of her soul's lioness.

_Thrice the Sun shall rise for his Lioness,_

_Twice the Sun shall recede to Darkness' depth._

_Thrice the Lioness shall seek her Sun,_

_And twice the Moon shall overshadow._

_Once shall Lioness and Sun unite,_

_To bring war of Sun too bright._

_For powers of light that be,_

_They shall unite that once and as is their will,_

_so mote they overcome,_

_The dark evil of the Moon!_

With the last word falling from her lips, everything stopped and Bella was only cushioned from her fall by her shield. Her feet touched the ground, now outstretched.

And all over the world, the supernatural could hear. They knew it was time. They would answer the call. The mark of the Phoenix on their wrists alit for the first time, glowing.

And when her eyes opened, Bella gasped.

Before her, lying unconscious, was the boy she had dreamed of and loved her whole life.

"Peter!" she shouted, and her body moved her without permission. By instinct, she found herself before him, her shields surrounding his and her body as she took him into her arms. Her shaking hand pressed against his pale cheek, and she felt it—that overwhelming sensation of finally returning home.

She gasped when she looked him over, her eyes just now picking up on his state of undress, and she flushed. Her eyes found themselves resting on parts of him that she had scarcely allowed herself to imagine.

She was only pulled from her thoughts by the sound of a low chuckle.

"Well, hello, Bella," she heard him say. She daren't look at him, her eyes mesmerized as they trailed his body, looking for injuries—and also being so attracted as she was to his gorgeous body. She couldn't look away.

"Peter," she breathed, finally closing her eyes as her body folded to press against his, her hands wrapping around his waist. She felt tears prick, her hand slipping from his cheek as she rested her head on his chest. "You're real."

His voice was softer now as he felt her tears on his chest. His arms wrapped tighter around her, and they both rejoiced in being able to touch and comfort one another as they had ached to for so long. "Yeah, I am. And so are you. I'm here now, baby. You won't ever be alone again."

She clenched her eyes to dispel the tears and then she opened them and slowly looked up at him. Her lips were parted as she simply looked into his eyes, and she gasped as her eyes caught on the wrist of the hand that was slowly reaching up to caress her cheek. She captured his hand, and sat up, straddling him without even noticing—his groan also going unnoticed—as she stared, awe-inspired, at his mark. She'd known it was there, but seeing it in person… she didn't feel like a freak. Truly, for the first time, she really didn't.

"Bella," Peter whispered after a while. Her eyes flashed to his face. "Perhaps we could go inside?" He smirked then, "I'm perfectly comfortable here," he began to tell her, bucking his hips up and delighting in her gasp and blush, "but I think we should probably talk before we do anything like that. There's so much…"

Bella's mouth and lips were dry, and her face hot. But she still managed to swallow and rise up off of him, reaching for his hand to help him up. She averted her eyes, staring up at the moon before checking her shields and wrapping them tighter around the two of them. A very animalistic growl fell from her lips at the sound of the faint whispers in an ancient language she found, with a shock, that she understood. The sound scared her, and she jumped, turning to look around her—only to realize that she was the one to release such a sound.

She gulped and looked up at Peter, who was staring at her, worried. She nodded and gripped his hand. "I think you might be right," she whispered, before turning and letting go of his hand.

She kicked the dirt around, erasing all evidence of the pentagram she had drawn.

When she looked back at him, an "eep" left her mouth as she took in the sight of him. Something was clawing inside her very soul to take him and have her way with him, claim him as hers.

"We should probably get you some clothes, too."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading; please let us know what you think! If you have any questions, feel free to PM or review it. As long as it doesn't give away too much of the plot still to come, we'll answer. :D<strong>

**See you in two days...**

**Spuxie**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>  
><strong>~ Peter's Point of View ~<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

Peter took in the inside of Bella's cottage with interest as she led him to her bedroom. It was very homey and comfortable and altogether foreign to him. He'd never experienced such a soft environment. It was all very strange to him, even the carpet under his feet, which he now marveled at as she rummaged around in her closet.

Walking back to him, she smiled softly as she watched him try to take everything in. "Here you go." She handed him a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. "I stole these from my Dad when I moved out." She shrugged a shoulder when he furrowed his brow at her in silent question. "I liked to lounge around in them. It was a comfort thing. Anyhow, they should fit you and it's the best we can do for now."

She cleared her throat nervously as he just stood there, staring at the clothes in his hands. "Um, the uh, the bathroom is just through that door there if you'd like privacy. Or I can just leave the room, if you'd prefer…"

He snapped instantly from his momentary stupor. "No! Don't leave. Please."

She slowly nodded, her eyes filled with concern. "All right, I won't." She was a bit startled by what seemed to be desperation that had gripped him and felt the need to comfort him in some way, so she went with it, doing her best to ignore the fact that his gorgeous body was still very unclad as she moved forward, caressing his cheek with her hand. "You'll never have to worry that I will leave you Peter."

He moved his hand to her cheek, cupping the satin smooth skin that he had dreamed of for all of his solitary years, his thumb gently rubbing as she leaned into his touch, their eyes locked.

"You're beautiful."

They both laughed quietly as the statement left their lips simultaneously, the joy of their reality filling them as they spoke so much more with their eyes, a million unspoken 'I love you's' passing between them in that moment.

He embraced her then, pulling her into his strong arms, the clothes dropping forgotten to the floor. She closed her eyes, her head against his chest, the sound of his heart and his unique scent calming her, soothing her, grounding her.

He smelled of the purest sunshine, a warm spring day and the forest. It was a clean, heady scent that warmed her from the inside out.

Peter buried his face in her silken hair, reveling in the feel of her, her warmth, her clean, sweet scent, finally, finally here in his arms. He felt tears fill his eyes as emotion overcame him. "I never thought I'd ever get to hold you Bella. I've loved you my whole life and I've longed for this day. I can hardly take it in."

She looked up at him, tears tracing down her cheeks. Tears that he gently wiped away, cupping her cheeks as he leaned down, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss, her soft lips moving gently under his, parting slightly in a languid give and take, both discovering, both learning. It was magical and they stared at each other in wonder as they came apart, smiling at the feeling of their deepening connection.

He grinned then. "I'd better get dressed before I really embarrass myself."

Her eyes widened as she felt the evidence of his excitement pressed against her body now that he'd brought it up and she backed away, looking everywhere but at him.

She reached down and picked up the clothes, handing him the sweat pants which he quickly stepped into. She stepped forward, handing him the shirt as her other hand slowly moved over his firm, smooth chest, her eyes tracking it's path. "It's a shame to cover this up." She smirked up at him and he laughed as he pulled the shirt over his head, smoothing it into place. "And it wasn't a shame to cover the rest of me?"

She smiled, mischief shining in her eyes. "Put it this way, if we're going to get any talking done, covering up the other parts of you was a necessity."

He grinned wickedly, a dimple showing itself in his left cheek. "Are you saying that I distract you Miss Isabella?"

She mock glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Tell you what, I could undress and then we'll see just how articulate you are, hm?"

His grin remained unchanged. "I like this plan."

She spluttered. "I was only trying to make a point. I wasn't really going to…"

She rolled her eyes as his grin widened. "You know exactly what I mean. Now stop teasing. We need to figure all of this out. For instance, how in the world you got here and why. Not that I'm complaining, but we need to prepare. I really feel like something big is about to happen and I don't want to be caught off guard."

She marched out of the room and he followed, grumbling. "It's only fair. You saw me naked…"

They arrived in her kitchen and she motioned to one of the chairs. "Have a seat." He pulled the chair from under the table, examining it curiously. "I'm thankful for all the things I got to experience through the dreams. I wouldn't have a clue what any of this stuff is without that knowledge. I'd be completely lost. As it is, everything is going to take some getting used to." He finally sat and met her understanding gaze as she watched him.

"I'm here for you Peter. You're not alone in any of this."

He glanced around and nodded. "There isn't much that's familiar to me in this room."

She laughed. "Yeah, I can't say I love cooking. I mean, I'm decent at it, but it's not my hobby of choice, so you probably didn't get much in the way of kitchen experience from me." She opened the fridge, grabbing a soda before turning to him. "Would you like anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Want a soda?"

His brow furrowed. "Soda? What's that?"

She popped one and poured it into a glass. "Here, it's a drink. Try it and see if you like it. If you don't, I'll get you something else."

She grabbed another one, watching from the corner of her eye as he tasted it, wrinkling his nose a bit at the unfamiliar fizz. "It's strange, but it's good."

She smiled as she sat across from him. "Good. Now, are you hungry? I can make you something."

He shook his head. "No, I already ate today. I only eat once a day."

Her brows rose in surprise. "One meal a day?"

He swallowed another sip, nodding. "Yes. Why? Is that not normal?"

She scowled, pissed off that they only fed him one meal a day. "No, it's not. People are supposed to eat three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some people even have snacks in-between meals. How did you manage to grow into the man you are on one meal a day?"

He sat back, his arm resting on the table, fingers tapping nervously. He didn't really want to talk about his time in that place. He just wanted to forget. She must have sensed his discomfort because she reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze as he stared down at the table top. "Hey, it's okay. We don't have to talk about that place unless you want to."

He glanced up at her and nodded. "I really just want to forget it." He squeezed his eyes shut as he gripped her hand. "I just want to forget."

She got up and walked around to him, hugging him close to her chest, her marks heating and glowing at his pain. "It's okay baby." She murmured, her cheek resting on the top of his head as he circled his arms around her waist, holding her tightly. "You'll never have to see that place again. We're together now, and nothing and no one will tear us apart. We won't let them. They'd better be prepared for the afterlife if they try."

He looked up at her and her eyes were glowing with a fierceness that left no doubt that she was serious. He nodded and smiled, feeling at once connected and invincible. "Yeah, they'd better."

They held each other, drawing comfort from their closeness until they were startled out of the moment by a knock at the door.

Peter looked at Bella who looked a bit scared. "What's wrong?"

She moved away from him and he stood. "What is it Bella?"

"There's someone at the door and I'm not expecting anyone. My neighbors are miles away, and I don't get visitors, especially at this time of night. My parents already wished me a happy birthday, via telephone as always. I have no idea who that could be."

He gasped and looked around at the barely visible shimmering shield that now covered them both as she grabbed his hand, moving to the front door to answer the now insistent knock that sounded yet again. She leaned close to the door, looking through the peep-hole.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"We're friends. Our names are Alice, Jasper and Charlotte. We're not here to hurt you. We're here to help. Use your senses my Lord and Lady. They will reveal the truth of my words."

Peter and Bella locked gazes, her brows raised as she mouthed the words 'Lord and Lady?' in question. He shrugged and they placed their free hands against the door. They closed their eyes and centered themselves, asking silently whether these people were friend or foe and gasping when a decidedly warm and light feeling infused them.

Bella's eyes snapped open, meeting Peter's. "What do you think? I got a very good feeling from them. I sense no danger."

Pete nodded. "I agree. Let's be careful, but I think it's okay to let them in and hear what they have to say."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: We own nothing but the plot. Reviews are appreciated. Happy reading.**

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><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>  
><strong>~ Bella's Point of View ~<strong>  
><strong>~ By ncbexie25 ~<strong>

Bella opened the door with Peter behind her, getting her shield ready for anything she deemed a threat against either of them.

There, standing before them, was a man perhaps just a little older than Peter and Bella, with blond curly hair atop his head and blue eyes. Beside him was a significantly shorter woman, younger than Bella, Peter, or indeed the blond man, at perhaps late teens. Her hair was short, and fell in a sort of spiky fashion to shape her face. The look was complete with elfin features and, to Bella's surprise, the most beautiful pale pink wings flickering on her back. Standing behind the two was a blonde woman who looked remarkably like the man, although with decidedly feminine features. She was lovely and very quiet, seeming reluctant to be the center of attention.

Alice smiled, and seemed to answer the unspoken question on Bella's lips before it had even registered for her to ask. "Don't worry. Only the supernatural can see my wings."

"Right," Bella said slowly, "and you are?"

"I'm Alice, and this is my soul mate, Jasper and Jasper's sister, Charlotte," she said with a cute grin on her face. Bella glanced down at the joined hands between their bodies and smiled. Their connection was so potent it was tangible.

"Huh," Peter said from behind her. "Well, whoever you are, you're a damn cute pixie."

Jasper rolled his eyes as Alice scorned, seemingly upset. "I am not a pixie," she sneered in her wind chimes voice, "I am a fairy."

Peter and Bella looked at each other, then Peter smirked and replied, "Well, you're short, little bit, but aren't fairies… shorter?"

Bella groaned and smacked at Peter's stomach, making him grunt, when he held up his thumb and index finger, pinching them to about a centimeter apart from one another.

The aura now freely flowing around Alice grew red as did her face, and Jasper wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back against him.

Jasper's drawl resounded through the small room. "I'd thank ya'll kindly for not teasin' my Ali... she spits fire when she's angry."

Bella's eyes widened and Peter grinned with excitement. "Really?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow, disbelieving at their gullibility. "No. It's a figure of speech. When my Alice gets angry, she tends to get a little more violent."

"What's more violent than spitting fire?" Bella pondered aloud, her arm all the while wrapping around Peter's waist and gripping tight on his hip. Her shields flickered under the surface, readied if needed.

Alice huffed. "Fairies are notorious for playing tricks, you know. I'll just turn him into a toad."

Peter smirked. "Bring it, short stuff."

"Peter," Bella warned. Her shields were reacting to the talk around them, as if knowing instinctively that Peter might be in danger—even if he was talking himself into it.

"What, babe?" Peter asked with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Li'l bit can't do nothin' to me. You'll protect me."

Bella's eyes narrowed, a hand on her cocked hip as her eyebrow rose. "Oh, really? Will I?"

Peter didn't know it yet, but he was walking into uncharted and dangerous territory. "Yeah... it's your job, remember?"

Bella hissed, the sound again animalistic and attached to the more primal, bestial part of herself. "Protect yourself," she growled before storming off, leaving a spluttering Peter to deal with the angry little pixi—fairy himself.

"Shit," Peter moaned and Bella smirked, huffing to herself.

From the small lounge area she called, "aren't you going to invite them in, Peter?"

He sighed and did so, and a moment later, the three strange visitors were seated opposite Peter and Bella, Alice grumbling every time she looked his way.

"So, as nice as this has been, what exactly is the reason you're here?" Bella asked, feeling the need to get straight to the point. As pissed as she was at her jerk of a soul mate right now, she knew that these two supernaturals wouldn't be here if it weren't for a significant reason. And she had a feeling it had something to do with the prophecy that had brought Peter to her.

"Well, first of all, we need to give you a very important parcel," Alice said, and a strange mist formed out of her hands before a paper parcel landed in her hands. She set it on the table. "It's extremely important, and it will answer most all of your questions about everything that's peculiar in your life. The dreams, the marks, the gifts you possess, the prophecy that has led to your reunion—everything."

"I'm sorry, did you say reunion?" Peter interjected with a frown on his face. "We've never met before; not in person, anyway."

Alice and Jasper smiled, and this time it was the latter who spoke. "Please, before we answer any of your questions or indeed even explain why we are here, please open that parcel. Explore the contents—everything. And heed what you read from the note and indeed the book that is bestowed in there. It is of grave importance."

And then they literally vanished into thin air.

"What the fuck?" Bella gasped. Her brain could hardly believe what she had just witnessed—let alone the entire exchange—and then there on the table was the brown parcel.

Peter leaned forward. "It's from Egypt," he told her, reaching his hand out to grab at it when Bella smacked his hand like a parent would a naughty child. He leapt back. "Ow! Bella, what was that for?"

"Don't touch it," she warned, getting up off the couch. "Think about it, Peter. With what you lived through down there, don't you think it's awfully peculiar that two supernaturals—a fairy and a who-knows-what-he-was—suddenly arrived at my house? How did they know where I live, Peter?"

She was pacing now, shaking her head, and he just stood there and watched, letting her get it all out. From their shared dreams, he knew she could get like this sometimes, so he just let her go off on her tangent, ready to bring her back to planet earth when she was done. "No. No, this all just feels a little too circumstantial and I am not buying it. Whatever is in there, if it's bad and we open it, I can't protect you, Peter. We have no way of knowing what's in there and with all the circumstantial evidence, there is no way in hell that I am opening that fucking thing and neither are you. What if it's from him?"

"Who?"

She rolled her eyes. "Osiris."

"Who?"

"Seriously, Peter? You have no idea whose lair you were in all these years?"

"Well, it's not as if he came up to me, shook my hand and said 'hey, I'm Osiris and you're going to be staying here for the unforeseeable future. What's your name?' Really, Bella." He raised an eyebrow at her, his mouth screwed up in a strange grin-grimace.

She shook her head, ignoring his sarcasm. "Peter, he already knew who you were."

His head flew up in shock. "Huh?"

"Why else would he take you when you were a baby? Peter, think about it. What harm could you have done as a small, innocent child?" There were tears in her eyes now as her mind flashed back to the pain she'd seen, the tears, in his earlier years, slowly transforming him into a bitter man.

Part of her felt like it was her fault that she couldn't save him, protect him. It had grown worse when she'd developed her up-until-now useless shield. And despite the happiness that sang from her very being at merely having him truly, physically with her, she mourned the sweet, innocent boy she knew he'd never be able to be again. Osiris had completely destroyed any chance of it.

Her thoughts took on a turn for the worse at the name. After turning eighteen, and developing her power, she'd started really paying attention to her shared dreams with Peter. And when she'd picked out a few details that sounded like it was associated with the Ancient Egyptian God her class was studying, she did a little extra research.

It turned out that she was right. Osiris was indeed the one who had kept her Peter under lock and key. So when she'd come across a birth certificate for a Peter Whitlock on the exact same date that she'd been born, from Texas—and subsequently a missing person's report from the same day—she'd put two and two together and made an unbelievable four.

Imagine her surprise at discovering the whole thing was indeed every bit as real as she had thought it, in the back of her mind known it, to be.

Yes. Her hate for that cursed bastard knew no bounds.

But she didn't know anything else. She couldn't find any real reason for Peter to have been taken—especially at his age, not even a day old—but there was nothing to explain any of the rest of it. So she'd let it sit, hoping that one day the answers would drop into her lap.

And it seemed quite possible that it had.

So why was she resisting? It was simple. By her very nature, upbringing, and gift, she was a hesitant person. She had thought that Peter would be, too, but he was eager and reckless. She had to protect him from any danger. She couldn't let anything happen to him again, especially when she could stop it. She wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"Baby?" Peter called, breaking her from her thoughts. She looked up at him, blinking, and he sat down beside her. She hadn't even realized she'd sat down. He took her hand in his, his brow pinched as he stared at her, love and concern in her eyes. "Baby, how do you know all that?"

She sighed. "Are you sure you want to know? It's not pretty, Peter."

"Please," he begged, and all she could see was that five year old boy again, begging for the men that hit him to stop. She swallowed against the lump in her throat, her breath hitching, and she sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"I can't deny you a thing," she whispered with a soft ghost of a smile, "but I can't let anything happen to you. I'll protect you from anything, Peter, even if it's from yourself.

"But if you want to know, then I'll tell you."

And she did.

She could see once she'd finished that Peter was thinking hard, and she straddled him and wrapped her arms around him in an effort to comfort him in any way she could. The pain in his eyes was that of a burning man, and she knew he was reliving things she couldn't even begin to imagine. Sure, she'd seen it all in her dreams, but she hadn't felt it. She didn't know as he knew it.

A while passed as there was total silence, the sun going down. The only light in the house, as Peter hadn't moved and Bella didn't dare to, was the soft glow of the package that they hadn't even realized before.

That was perhaps what awakened them.

"Bella," Peter whispered and she clenched her eyes closed, squeezing tighter. "Baby, I think we need to open that parcel."

It felt as though cold water had been thrown on her. She felt anger build inside. Had he not heard a thing she'd said? The danger that presented? Her worries about the situation?

"Peter—" she started as she got off him.

"No, baby, hear me out," he said, voice calm. He had no idea of the anger welling inside her, no idea at all. She scoffed, shaking her head. Why the fuck were men so clueless? "Alice and Jasper, good people, would not have been sent with a bad package for us."

She snorted. "Peter, what if they thought something else was in it?"

"Hear. Me. Out," he said again, slower, his voice still pretty damn calm. She swallowed her anger, hands on hips, and nodded for him to proceed. "You have a shield, Bella. You can protect yourself and me if there is a problem. But if we need to know what's in there, and we don't open it..."

"Did you not hear anything I said?" She was shaking as she shouted at him, tears now spilling down her cheeks. All those years of hurt because he hurt, with every syllable she felt it rise and then release in a tumult of emotion and word. "I mean, Jesus, Peter, you're right, okay? It is my job to protect you. But I can't do it if you won't let me. Don't you think I feel useless enough? All those years, watching you suffer, wishing I could do something, developing this fucking shield that I couldn't even use to help you!" A sob caught in her throat, and Peter pulled her into his arms, resting his chin atop her head.

"Baby, don't you think that we should see what's in the package then? We felt no bad vibes from them before we let them in. They were good. And maybe if we find out from the parcel what we need to know, you'll know how to protect me and why. It'll make it easier for you. Please, baby, let's make this easier and just open the package."

She swallowed and wiped her eyes. Pulling back, she nodded, and took a deep breath before pushing him behind her. He let her, she reached for the package, and with an encouraging nod from him and another deep breath, she pulled the cord off and ripped the brown paper.

On the top lay a letter, and Bella put the things down to open it up. Peter came closer as she read it aloud.

Dear Bella and Peter,

As you are now twenty one, the time has come for you to learn of your history and of your true nature. My friends, what I am to tell you will tilt the very axis of your worlds as you know them.

Your history begins in Ancient Egypt, in what is now considered legend and myth. But your existences, my dears, are proof that it is anything but.

Among the Gods were three by the names Osiris, Ra, and Ra (yes, my friends, two people with the same name). The God Ra, as you may know, was the male God of the Sun, and the Goddess Ra was his wife.

But the Sun God had many enemies, particularly Osiris, who was jealous of his power. And so the Goddess was his protector from the darkness and hatred of the underworld God. Osiris had minions that he would send regularly in attempts to end the God's life, but each time, Goddess Ra protected her husband like a fierce shield, using her powers and the form of the Lion to aid her.

What many do not know, is that Osiris once succeeded, and since then, twice have the husband and wife risen in human-warlock/witch form to find their other half to overcome him.

And twice, Osiris has prevailed.

But there is only one more time before the world is shrouded in eternal night under a moon of hate. Twenty one years ago, on the thirty-first of October, the two rose again. But this time, Osiris was waiting, and he stole away the God and took advantage of his fragile lesser form.

As the two were born, they were each marked with a symbol of who they were, knowing that when the time came to fight, they would use those marks to unleash the inner part of themselves needed in order to save all worlds from this dark that Osiris threatens.

As the two grew, they knew of each other through dreams. And as they grew, they discovered their gifts—the girl, a shield, and the boy, to wield fire.

And just today, they were reunited and recognized in their souls who the other was.

Yes, my friends, it is indeed you that this prophecy focuses upon. It is indeed you that Osiris wishes to kill in order to prevail and create a world of such chaos and terror that none will remember the world before.

You are the only two, guided by those who come to help, that can stop it. And yes, my dears, you will know who is friend and who is foe. All those who bear the mark of the Phoenix on their bodies, and who have dreamt of the Lion and the Sun, are friend. All others who have not are foe.

I will write you again when the time comes to fight. All I can say to you now is that you must prepare and be strong in one another. Our love is fated, and has been since the dawn of the God and Goddess you once were and will be again. You cannot fail.

I bid you well, great God and Goddess Ra.

Blessed Be,

Your Observer

"So, we're Gods?" Bella said, a laugh of hysteria bursting from her lips. They were right, they had received answers, but fuck, it was surreal having all that extra knowledge inside her head. It was hard to wrap your head around the fact that you were the human form of millenias-old Goddess.

"No, babe, I'm a God and you're a Goddess."

She sighed, slapping the letter into his chest. "Funny, Peter." And then she stopped, spun around, and grabbed the letter from his fingers. She gasped as her eyes quickly found the words she'd just remembered in her mind. "Shit."

"What?"

"Uh, we're not human," she said slowly.

"Yeah… I know… we just—"

"No, Peter, we're not human… and we're not just deities," she turned to him, "we're fucking magic."

His eyes widened as he remembered the words she'd read out. "Fuck, you're right. You're a witch and I'm a warlock. But what does that even mean?"

Bella's movements were frenzied, and she had never been more grateful that the years of martial arts had banished her ungracefulness. She spun and bent over to pick through the package, looking for something that might aid them. Her fingers found paper, and she gripped then stood back up straight.

She read it aloud, turning to Peter.

My friends,

In this package are the books of spells that you need for this and indeed for your life ahead. The other warlock and witch supernaturals will guide you in this skill as they come.

"So, we've got more supernaturals coming? And Alice and Jasper will be fighting with us?" Bella asked.

Peter shrugged. "I guess so. And from the word 'supernaturals' it won't just be witches and warlocks, either."

"Holy shit."

"Yeah."

Also to be found is information unknown about the ancient world from which you are. Read every page, and do so together. It is imperative in finding every weakness of your opponents, and knowing your own strength.

"Wait… strength…" Bella gasped, "Remember what the letter said? The Goddess Ra fought as a lioness." She gulped. "I'm turning into a fucking lioness?!"

"No, babe, it's just a form," Peter said, wrapping his arms around her. "That lioness is a part of you, and she's part of what you need to protect me. It's okay. Don't be afraid. We'll figure this all out together. Now read on. I have a feeling there's more."

Peter, I have provided you with clothes. They are fireproof, you see. It may come in handy. There are more to come.

"Sweet!" Peter exclaimed, reaching for the clothes.

Bella rolled her eyes and kept reading.

And Bella, for you, I have a journal. I know it may not seem as much, but it is somewhere you can write your pain away. But heed me, dear, you have no need to feel guilty for what fell upon your soul mate. It was destined to be so that he could become the man he has to be in order to fulfil the prophecy with you. The pen, also with the journal, allows for your writing to be erased if you so desire once you close the book so none should be party to your innermost thoughts if you do not wish it.

Bella smiled to herself.

"He's right, you know."

"Hmm?"

Peter was smiling. "He's right. You shouldn't feel guilty."

"He?" she played him. "What if it's a she?"

He chuckled. "My little feminist."

"Let's remember that I protect you in this relationship, hmm?"

And lastly, for the both of you, I have armbands of gold that you wore in your godly forms. These will enhance your powers and enrich your knowledge of your origins further than the book allows. Heed my warning: these are dangerous in the hands of evil. You were killed in previous times because Osiris was able to attain these. You cannot allow this to happen. Put them on immediately and do not take them off again.

I fare thee well.

They did not speak this time. In utter silence, Bella reached for the armbands, and gave Peter his. Facing one another, they slipped them on and up their arms until they reached their biceps, placing the second on their other arm.

As soon as both surrounded her skin, an electric pulse rang out through Bella's body, staying in her very core as a surge of power filled her being. When she opened her eyes, which had closed from the sensation, she found Peter much the same as her. And dear god, she could feel his power as sure as she knew he could feel hers. The draw to him was ever more, and she could hardly believe it. There was a pulse, a charge, generating between them from their souls and reaching out to the other's.

Eyes narrowed, Bella reached for the letter again, and huffed.

One more thing… the armbands will increase your connection and thus your desire to consummate this bond. You must do so as soon as it feels right. You will know. The bond will guide you.

Hmph.

"Well, thanks, you mysterious bastard," Bella muttered under her breath, passing the letter to Peter. Their fingers grazed against each other and their breathing hitched, whimpers falling between parted lips at the sensation.

But before they could continue it, Alice and Jasper were next to them, knowing smiles on their faces.

"Hi again," Jasper said, his smile turning into a smirk. "Are we interrupting?"

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Not at all."

Alice giggled. "Excellent. Now I presume you wish to see our mark of the Phoenix and hear of our dreams? We both share the same in both aspects, so either can answer."

"Right," Bella said with a nod, stepping back from Peter in almost a jump movement. "You're right. So right. Um, can we see the mark and then we'll talk about the… the dreams."

The other three smirked at her sheepishness and she flipped them the bird, sitting down and waiting. An errant thought of hers wondered if it was okay for a Goddess to act as she was. Probably not. She shrugged. Oh, well.

Peter sat down beside her, and Jasper and Alice came forth and knelt before them, pulling up their sleeves. And there, on their wrist, was the mark of the Phoenix to mark the location that all supernaturals would travel to in order to find the God and Goddess Ra.

"Wow," Peter and Bella said together, pulling their own sleeves up for comparison. "They glow as ours do," Bella continued, looking between the two marks on her own skin and Alice's.

"And the dreams?" Peter asked, pulling his sleeve down. Bella did the same, as did Jasper and Alice.

"All supernaturals called to aide you dream of the Sun," Jasper said, nodding toward Peter, "and the Lioness," he continued, nodding toward Bella. "We hear the prophecy, and are guided on our own destiny—to help you fulfil it and overthrow Osiris. As we grow, we hear of your history, and of what we can do to make sure that this third time ends in your favour."

With that, Peter and Bella rose as did Alice and Jasper just after them. It was discussed quickly what next would happen, and after much debate, it was decided that they would read the books that were in the package first, sleep, and only then would training begin.

~o0o~

"Again, my Goddess."

She picked herself up off the ground, dusted off her ass, and turned back to face Jasper. He was a hard ass when it came to learning how to fight, but as it so happened, he was an extremely effective teacher. In just a few days, he had turned her into a better fighter than her human teacher had in two years.

Though Jasper liked to say this was due to the knowledge that Bella and Peter had attained through reading the book of their history and the world they had come from, aided by the armbands which bestowed memories on them as they read.

Surprisingly, after the initial shock had worn off, it was easy to slip into the role. It felt right. Gone were her attentions on anything but the important, the here and now.

She had been writing in her journal whenever she felt that guilt kick in, and it was really helping her. She was thankful to whoever it was who had sent the package from Egypt, and only wished she was able to express such to them.

Alas, a short note of you're welcome appeared after she showered yesterday and she didn't know how, but she knew that he—or she—was watching.

"Pay attention, Goddess," Jasper called her back from her thoughts delivering a hit to her stomach that sent her flying.

Instinctively, she let out a roar as she landed on all fours, skidding and glaring in his direction. But when she made to lunge at him, each move was blocked until she was thrown back again, harder, and hit a tree.

Another roar fell from her lips at being bested again, but her head was aching so hard that it only caused more pain. She gasped and clutched at her head, peeling herself away from the tree only to fall to the ground. She felt Peter come to her, and Jasper, too.

"If she is hurt, I can help," a charming British accent said from somewhere to Bella's right.

Slowly she peeled her eyes open, finding herself in Peter's arms with Jasper seated in front of her, trying to coax her into opening her eyes and speaking to them once more. At the sound of the voice, they all looked up to see a golden-haired man with the palest skin they'd ever seen and golden eyes to match.

"And you are?" Peter asked hesitantly, his instincts warring. He could feel that the man meant good but due to his soul mate's injury, he was more vigilant and careful toward any—even Jasper, with whom he'd become fast friends.

"I am Carlisle, God Ra," the blond spoke again. He came forward slowly, pulling up the sleeve on his arm to reveal the now-familiar mark of the Phoenix. "I dreamed as a human of the Sun and Lioness, and was told of all I would do in time to help them fulfil their prophecy. I was informed as well of what I would go through in order to do so. I heard the prophecy many times, and can now recite to you the history I was told."

"As fun as this all is," Bella groaned, "now that we know you're a good guy, can you please help me with my head? You said you could."

"I indeed can," he said, kneeling down next to her. "I am a warlock, and have healing properties as my main strength. That is the main aide I provide to you, my Lady."

Working his magic—Bella's eyes were closed at his request; apparently it made it faster somehow if she concentrated on something else and turned away from the brightness of the magic he would use—Carlisle quickly made her well again. When he was done, Bella thanked him, and they engaged in conversation.

"You said when you were human you dreamed of us?" Peter asked, "But you are a warlock?"

Carlisle nodded. "I am a vampire now, my Lord, and I was a warlock when I was human."

"Fuck, they're real, too?" Peter groaned. "Are there wood nymphs?"

"Yes, Peter," Bella answered.

"Wait, how would you know?" Peter asked in an almost accusatory tone.

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes, answering his slowly. "Peter, if the Gods are real, then so are all the other mythical creatures made of legend. And I imagine the Greek and Roman Gods are real as well, including their mythical creatures."

"Well, fuck. How much freakier can this fucking world get?" he whined, his head braced his hands, his elbows on his knees. He looked like a naughty six year old boy does when they're in trouble and upset.

"A whole lot, son," a thick Irish accent rang out as four red headed, pale skinned people emerged from the trees. Everyone turned to face them, and were met with the sight of a family of four: two older, a mother and a father, and two children, one male and one female.

"And how is that?" Peter asked.

"We, boy," the man continued, "are leprechauns."

"You've got to be shitting me."

"Afraid not," the younger woman said, her curls bouncing as she walked forward. She smiled kindly, hand outstretched to shake Peter's. When he was unreceptive, Bella sighed and took her hand instead.

"I'm Bella, but everyone here seems to call me Goddess," she said dryly. "Peter is my mate, and in our other forms, my husband Ra. I share his name."

Her grin stretched wider. "My name is Esme. My brother is Edward, and he is younger than I. Our parents are Edward Senior and Elizabeth."

"Nice to meet you all," Bella responded kindly. "Now, if we may see your marks of the Phoenix and hear of your dreams?"

Like Carlisle, and before him Alice and Jasper, they presented themselves to the scrutiny of Peter and Bella. With exchanged nods, they stepped back, and that was when Esme's eyes met Carlisle's for the first time.

And their bond was completed.

It seemed all mythical creatures had mates, but some mating drives were stronger than others, as they immediately pardoned themselves from their presence. The others did not mind, but it was strange for Bella to think that when they consummated their bond—or indeed did anything else—everyone would know. Stranger still, Bella wasn't the least embarrassed.

They stayed outside until it had long grown dark, speaking and getting to know one another. Bella found Edward quite a nice boy, though broody he was. He had offered to play the piano for them sometime when Elizabeth had gushed about his talent, blushing the entire time, his Irish voice stuttering.

"Well, I think we'll go to bed now," Peter said, kissing Bella's cheek. "Thank you all for being here. We will see you tomorrow and begin more training."

With that, he and Bella walked inside and into to the bedroom they shared. They got ready for bed, pulled back the covers, and slipped inside, Peter's arms wrapping around her body as Bella laid her head on his chest. They sighed at the feeling after such a crazy day.

It really was no question when it came to that just a few hours after they had read through the book of their history the day Peter had arrived, and Alice and Jasper had come with the parcel. Sleeping in each other's arms after so long apart was a source of comfort. It felt so right. And so when they fell asleep in each other's arms, the power of their connection and their origins humming within, they were finally in peace.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: We own nothing but the plot. Reviews appreciated. Happy reading.**

* * *

><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>  
><strong>~ Peter's Point of View ~<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

**~o0o~**  
><strong>~ Lemon Alert ~<strong>

Pete awoke, the room still shrouded in the deep shadows of the night, to a startling and foreign sensation. It was intense and he gripped the blankets that had been thrown off to his side at some point, his eyes clenching tight as he panted through pleasure so intense, it bordered on painful.

"Bella?" He rasped out. He opened his eyes and peered through the dark, spying her as she kissed her way up the inside of his thigh, a leonine purr sounding from her as she nuzzled at the juncture of his thigh and hip, her hand firmly stroking his rigid cock.

"Bella? What are you doing?!" He choked out, his eyes now wide in shock. She ignored him in favor of nudging at the base of his cock with her nose and lips and he gasped, throwing his head back into the pillows, a deep groan finally escaping him. Never in his life had he felt or imagined anything like this and it was overwhelming.

She licked and sucked and purred as she explored his manhood, the heady, concentrated scent of him there very pleasing to her lioness. "You are mine my mate." She growled out lowly, seduction in every syllable. "I shall mark you, claim you." She slowly licked up his length and he groaned and gasped, fists clenching whatever they could, desperate as he was to stay grounded and aware. "I shall love you and protect you, and this time, I shall not fail." She sucked in his length, her hot, wet mouth engulfing him and he cried out, burying one hand in her thick tresses. "Bella! Oh fuck…"

He writhed and tried to thrust his hips instinctively but she had straddled his legs, effectively pinning him down as her tongue swirled around the silky soft head of his beautiful cock, her purr of satisfaction at the taste of him gaining volume in the night's stillness. "Mine." She whispered when she'd drawn her mouth away, stroking him firmly from base to tip with her hand. "You are mine and will be forever more. No one shall take you away from me again." She continued to stroke him, circling a thumb over the slick sensitive head as she growled loudly. "I'm going to mark you now."

His eye's went wide again and he lifted his head from the pillows, staring down at her. "You're gonna what?!"

She continued to stroke his thick length as she bared her long, sharp fangs, leaned forward and bit down on his upper, inner thigh.

He cried out loudly as he threw his head back, his whole body seizing as he came, thick, pearly ribbons of come pulsing onto the rippling muscles of his abdomen, his chest heaving, his body now weak with the pleasure.

She grinned and moved up his body, sucking and kissing until she got to the heady, salty-sweet evidence of his pleasure on his muscled belly, reveling in the potent taste of him as she licked and purred, her eyes hooded in pleasure at her prowess. He watched her in shocked wonder and fascination, the sight and feel of her hardening his cock again within moments.

When she had him clean, she slowly made her way up to one hardened bud on his chest, flicking her tongue over it before sucking it in, drawing a surprised gasp from him when she nipped it lightly with her teeth.

The feel of everything she did seemed to go straight to his cock and he was surprised by the unfulfilled ache he could feel at the root of it. He needed something… badly, but he didn't know what it was. He growled in frustration, gripping his golden hair with both hands, muttering urgently. "Bella, Bella…oh god, please…"

She chuckled lowly, her lioness pleased at his need of her as she moved her kisses and licks to his neck, straddling his body as she did so. It was time… time to take him in… time to breach her mortal virgin body with that of her eternal mate… to connect in every way… to surrender to the bond.

He panted and watched her as she rose up, placing his hardness at her slick entrance and taking him in, inch by thick and rock-hard inch with a loud moan, her head thrown back in triumph, a shout leaving her at the feel of him finally seated deep within.

He bucked his hips up to meet her when she began to rise and fall on him. This… this is what he had wanted, what he had needed on a primal level and he reached out to her, hands grasping her grinding, tilting hips as he helped her along in a ride that was as old as time itself.

Just the feel of being inside her hot, tight, fluttering walls… slamming himself in time after time… the sensations building for both of them to such a degree that their eyes glowed with the power of their pleasured connection, their heated marks filling the room with a soft, white light.

She sped up her pace, chasing the release she knew would meld their souls forevermore, her hisses, moans and growls intermingling with his groans and panted breaths, a fine sheen of sweat making their bodies glisten in the glow that filled the room.

He stared up at her, his jaw clenched as his balls drew up tight, his whole body tense and on the brink. She moaned, caressing her own breasts as she rode him relentlessly, her inner walls beginning to grip him tightly. "I am ready my love." She moaned lowly. "Come inside me. Fill me with your scent and essence."

Her words, combined with the sight of her and the tight grip of her slick, hot muscles around his cock put him over the edge and he yelled out, releasing her hips as he threw both arms out to his sides, hands open wide, his head tilted back as she cried out and pulsed around him in their shared bliss, their connection, at last, perfect and complete.

**~ End Lemon ~**

He caught her as she collapsed onto his chest, her breathing heavy from her exertions. He held her close as he tried to slow his pounding heart, still in awe of what they had just experienced, so he was unprepared when she stiffened and hissed menacingly, her head whipping toward the door that burst open just as her shield shimmered into place.

Pete craned his neck to see around Bella and was appalled to see Jasper and Alice rush into the room. Only then did he notice the lamp on the dresser… the lamp that was in flames… flames that Jasper and Alice extinguished quickly with a quilt.

Jasper picked up the ruined lamp and quilt and headed for the door as Alice turned to them with a smirk, her musical voice cutting through their stunned silence. "Crisis averted. As you were." She turned and flitted out the door, leaving an annoyed Bella and a speechless Pete behind.

Bella turned to him then, looking exasperated and amused. "Now that we've bonded, I sure hope you can avoid setting things on fire when you come. If you can't, it's gonna put quite the damper on the fun stuff."

She smirked as he rolled his eyes, pulling her down onto his chest. She snuggled into his side getting comfortable as he covered them both with the discarded blankets. "It's not like I had an outlet for my extra energy as you did. I couldn't exactly chomp down on you, now could I?"

She popped up to look at him, her eyes wide with realization. "Perhaps that flame was meant for me."

He furrowed his brow, frightened at the prospect, but determined to joke his way out of this. "Right, like after wanting you all this time, I'm gonna torch you after one round of sex." He smirked halfheartedly. "That'd be one hell of a waste baby. One I'm not about to agree to."

She slapped him lightly on his chest. "No you ass. Perhaps it was supposed to be how you marked me."

He shot her a dark look, his attempt at joking all but abandoned. "And how the hell would we find that out, huh? That's not an experiment I'm willing to try Bella. I've killed people with that fire, you understand that?"

He looked away, a frown on his face as he rubbed his forehead with his fingers, the memories of that place assailing him. "Let's just get some sleep. I have a feeling we're in for a long day tomorrow."

Bella, seeing how upset he was, decided to let the issue lie, and snuggled back into his side, both of them drifting into a peaceful sleep within minutes.

They were up and ready for the day early the next morning, Pete still upset about their talk the evening before. He was very reserved and everyone noticed immediately, but thought better than to mention it.

They chose instead to concentrate on making their temporary camp out behind Bella's cottage more functional, not to mention expandable for the others they knew were soon to arrive.

The first of these knocked timidly at the door just as Bella and Pete finished breakfast. She glanced at him and rose from her chair, motioning for him to relax. "It's okay, I'll see who they are and what they want and hope like hell it isn't more weirdness. This place is looking like a refugee camp already." She walked to the door grumbling. "Thank god I don't have close neighbors."

She pulled the door open to two more people, young people if she was judging them correctly, a guy and a girl perhaps the same age as she and Peter.

"Can I help you?"

The dark haired girl spoke with a small smile. "Hi. I'm Angela and this is my boyfriend Ben. We've been drawn here to help." Before Bella could say a word, they both pulled back their sleeves, showing the phoenix mark.

Bella nodded slowly, her eyes on their marks. "Ah, got it. Just one quick question; what have you been dreaming about?" They both smiled as they answered in unison. "The Sun and his Lioness, my Lady." Bella nodded with a smile. "Well, you may as well join the others. They're all gathered around the back of the house. Just follow the walkway around to the back yard. You can't miss it. We'll all talk later after Pete and I get situated for the day."

They both smiled and Angela answered. "Thanks Bella. We look forward to getting to know everyone."

Bella watched while they turned and disappeared around the side of the house, shaking her head at the changes that had taken place in her solitary life just within the last two days. If she wasn't living it, she would never believe it. She turned back into the house, closing the door with a sigh. She looked up as Pete spoke to her. "Well?"

She smiled wanly, sad over the distance she could feel between them now that Peter had shut down somewhat. "Just two more helpers. I sent them around back with the others."

He nodded and looked back toward the kitchen. "I cleared the dishes and loaded them in that box that cleans them. That's where they go, right?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, the dishwasher. Thanks for doing that." She glanced at the growing group that she could see through the french door that led to the back and sighed. "I'm going to have to do some shopping for groceries. We're getting quite the crowd here and we all have to eat."

He shook his head, "The uh… fuck, I can't believe I'm saying this," he muttered. "I probably sound like a complete fuckwit, but the leprechaun's took care of the shopping early this morning. Seems they're loaded money-wise. That whole pot o' gold thing isn't bullshit apparently."

He smirked and Bella chuckled. "Well good then because I hate shopping in all its forms."

Just then the back door opened and Carlisle stuck his head in. "I've a need for the facilities, if that's all right?"

Bella placed a hand to her forehead rubbing as she answered. "Of course! I'm sorry I haven't offered already. Please pardon my oversight, but I'm just not used to having people here. Bit of a social reject I'm afraid."

Carlisle laughed as he stepped in. "It's quite all right Bella. I think we all understand. This has to be a stressful situation you find yourselves in. We'll muddle through with all good grace and understanding."

He smiled at them both, disappearing down the hall and into the restroom.

She looked at Pete who turned away to stare out the window and she couldn't take it any more. Walking over to him, she embraced him, resting her head in the middle of his back as her hands caressed his firm abdomen. "Pete," she whispered. "Can we please resolve this distance between us? I can't stand it."

He sighed as he placed his hands over hers, the tension leaching from his muscles as relief filled him. He hadn't really realized how his mood had affected them both until this very moment and he was filled with remorse.

He turned and took her into his arms, his head resting atop hers. "I'm sorry Bella. I didn't realize… It's very hard to communicate when you've had to grow up in a stone cage with only your own mind for company. It's just… well, I love you, and the thought of harming you and you being willing for me to try such a thing without having seen what I can do to a human body with my power… It's not a pleasant thing Bella. I mean, the cold, unfeeling part of me enjoyed the hell outta torching those fuckers, but to think I could potentially do that to you… the only person in this entire fucking world that I care about… just the thought is too much for me to bear. It tore me up inside just thinking of it."

He looked down at her and his heart clenched when he saw the tears on her cheeks. "I can't lose you Bella. I'll fuckin' die if I do."

She reached up and cupped his face, her thumbs rubbing his skin gently as she stared into those bright blue eyes. "Baby, you're not going to lose me, I swear it. But you have to learn to trust me. We have to learn to trust each other, and we don't have a lot of time to do that." She laughed softly. "This is a crash course in relationships and just like everything has been in our lives, we either sink or swim." Her look was fierce as she spoke again. "I don't intend for either of us to drown in this situation we find ourselves. We will prevail and from the sound of things, we will rule together, forever. So, you trust me and I'll trust you. It's the only way we're going to make it through this."

She leaned up, brushing her lips against his. He pulled her closer and deepened it but still kept it soft and sweet, their passion for each other remaining at a low simmer.

They ended the kiss at the same moment, just in time for a smiling Carlisle to waltz through on his way back out. "Don't mind me. Carry on!" He opened the french door and closed it softly behind him as Bella looked at Pete. "He's entirely too chipper."

Pete smirked. "I think Esme has a lot to do with that."

Bella nodded, looking outside. "Well, shall we tackle this mess we find ourselves in?"

He sighed. "I don't see that we have much of a choice. If we don't, no one else will and we can all kiss our asses goodbye."

The next to arrive was a young, single guy named Michael Newton. Pete laughed when he heard the name along with what kind of supernatural he was; a warlock. Mike didn't seem to appreciate Pete's mirth at his expense. Apparently, he had heard the 'newt' joke one too many times while growing up and it had lost it's humor factor. Pete didn't care, the irony in the guy's name bringing a chuckle to him whenever he spotted the guy in the ever increasing crowd.

They were all sitting in a circle brushing up on the bonding ritual they would have to perform when a very bedraggled tiny blonde pixie arrived, an equally ragged looking letter tied at her lower back.

Alice scrambled toward her as she crash landed right in the middle of the circle her torn wings still beating feebly.

"What happened little one?!" Alice questioned her as she scooped her up.

Pete grinned at Bella, his voice low as he spoke. "I bet she doesn't get to use that line very often."

Bella slapped his shoulder, looking warily to her left where Jasper sat, his lips twitching at his attempt to keep a grin at bay.

"Men." She grumbled, rolling her eyes and directing her attention back to Alice as she freed the letter from the exhausted Pixie.

They all listened attentively as a tiny bell-like voice rang out. "Osiris' minions intercepted us but my mate and I fought them and were able to get away. We have very sharp teeth you see. Anyhow, this letter was too important to fall into his evil mitts so I made it here despite my injuries." She sniffed and stuck her nose in the air as well as she could at the moment.

Alice set the Pixie on a chair. "And what of your mate?"

The Pixie looked worried but fierce, as unbelievable as that may seem. "My mate is strong and a great warrior!"

Pete choked on a laugh, an 'omph' escaping him as Bella elbowed him in his side. She then leaned forward and took the letter Alice handed her, speaking softly to the tiny being. "May I see your mark?"

The Pixie nodded her head. "Of course my Lady." She showed her tiny wrist and sure enough, there was the phoenix, albeit a miniature version, glowing brightly.

Bella smiled. "Thank you. Now, perhaps some food and drink would help you recover? Carlisle is our healer, I'm sure he'd be willing to have a look at your wings."

The tinkling sounded again as the little one spoke. "I would be grateful, thank you."

Bella glanced at Carlisle who had already risen from his seat. "I'd be happy to help." He gently took the little Pixie and went into the house where he'd set up in what used to be Bella's small office.

Bella unrolled the missive, leaning toward Pete so they could read it together, her anger rising and shield flickering as she registered the words written there.

~o0o~

_My Dear Ones,_

_I pray this letter finds you well and on your way to becoming practiced in all that you need to know in order to defeat your greatest foe, Osiris, Lord of the Underworld._

_While I am greatly concerned with your well-being and increasing knowledge, this letter is unfortunately not about that._

_This is a warning my friends, to be on guard every moment of every day from now until you face him in battle one final time, for he knows of Peter's freedom and is making plans to thwart you before you're prepared._

_I cannot stress this point enough: Trust no one but those who bear the mark. You know of which mark I speak. I dare not list it here in the event this missive should fall into the wrong hands._

_Take care of yourselves and each other._

_Blessed Be,_

_Your Observer_

~o0o~

Pete placed his arms around Bella's shoulders, trying to comfort and calm her. "Baby, we already knew this would be the case. It's just that now, our reprieve is over. He's realized I'm gone and he's now after me. All we can do, like the letter said, is be very careful and not trust any unmarked beings."

He cast his gaze around the circle meeting each being's eyes in turn as he spoke to them. "I believe it would be wise not to let anyone see your marks if you need to go anywhere. Osiris will most likely have spies everywhere. It's not as though he's short on numbers. They can be anywhere and look like anyone."

They all nodded as he met eyes with them again. "Good. Well what do you say we break for food. One hour, and we'll meet back here and get back to it."

He rose and and helped Bella up. She still looked upset and he needed to help her with that.

They sat together at Bella's small table, eating the sandwiches he had made for them. Bella was silent, her gaze trained at the table top. He knew she was worried and he meant to fix it, as well as he could at any rate.

"Bella."

She raised her head, meeting his eyes.

"Let me ask just one question."

She nodded. "Go ahead."

He smiled sadly, taking her hand. "What has really changed about our situation? He's always been after us Bella. And today we get a letter saying… 'Guess what? He's after you!' …as if that's really news to us, so you see? Nothing has really changed. No need to be so upset about it. What's important to focus on is that we now have each other for real baby, for the first time in this life anyway, and we can do something about this massive asshole and his flunkies. We're getting there, and we're gonna beat him this time. I can feel it."

She smiled a real smile and squeezed his hand. "You're right. Thank you."

He nodded. "I know. You're welcome. Now eat, your food's getting cold."

She rolled her eyes as she picked up the sandwich. "Peter, we're eating sandwiches. They were never warm."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I know." He smirked. "Your point?"

She smirked back. "I'm gonna leave that one alone."

They gathered back in the circle after their break, everyone refreshed and ready to go. Angela stood and cleared her throat before paging to the ritual in the Book of Shadows that had arrived with Bella and Pete's armbands. She began reading the steps aloud. When she was done with the passage, she looked at each being in the circle. "Any questions?"

Bella nodded. "I have one."

Angela turned to face her. "Go ahead Bella."

"What the hell does 'sky clad' mean, and why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like the answer?" She glanced around as some, particularly Edward, blushed and fidgeted nervously."

Angela smiled widely. "Simply put, it means that we all get naked for this."

Bella frowned as Pete grinned "I like this plan."

Her frown deepened into a scowl which she directed at him. His grin dropped off his face under her glare and he shot the bird at a smirking Jasper, keeping his action out of Bella's view.

She kept him pinned with her glare a few seconds more before she looked back at Angela. "Is that really necessary? Because, unlike certain others…" she shot a contrite looking Pete a dark look, "…in our group, I can't say the idea thrills me."

Poor, reddened Edward was nodding emphatically as his father squeezed his shoulder in support and his mother patted his hand in sympathy.

Angela sighed. "Yes, it is necessary in order for our group to be open to all that nature would impart during the ritual. From the sound of things, we're going to need all the power we can get, right?"

Bella nodded in resignation. "That's very true."

Angela shut the heavy tome. "Well then, we must, each one of us, follow the ritual to the letter, including consuming a dose of the potion that Ben and I will brew."

Pete groaned, hanging his head. "Just don't share what's in the noxious brew. I'd rather not know."

Mike leaned forward to better see Pete, a vicious grin on his face. "Perhaps there's newt in there. I'll be sure to give you the chunky portion."

Bella's eyes widened as she saw flames flickering in the palms of Pete's hands. "You look a little cold over there Newton. Would you like some help with that?" He held up one hand, a blue ball of flame bouncing there and Mike sat back, his grin a thing of the past. "N…No, thanks. I'm just fine."

Pete grinned as everyone watched him carefully. "That's what I thought."

The awkward tension was broken with the arrival of a tiny but… buff? …looking male Pixie who had a scaled down bow and quiver of arrows slung over a shoulder and a grin on his face. He waved a minuscule but beefy hand at the speechless crowd of beings before him. "Howdy peeps! I'm Emmett. Lookin' for my mate Rosalie. Anybody seen her? She's blonde…" He held both cupped hands in front of his tiny muscled chest, "…and she's got one hell of a set of knockers on her. Nice ass too." He grinned around at the now flabbergasted bunch. "Well? My mate, Rosalie? Hello?"

He spun around as Carlisle opened the back door, a fully restored tiny Pixie zooming straight to her mate, Emmett.

"Em! Baby, those assholes didn't hurt you did they?"

He grabbed her, his hands on her tiny, voluptuous ass as he spun her around, kissing her soundly. He leaned back. "Hell no babe. You know me better than that!" He leaned in for another fiery kiss and Pete nearly fell off his chair at the sight of these pint-sized beings hovering in the air as they proceeded to put on an almost x-rated show.

He finally recovered and cleared his throat. "Uh, excuse me? Would you two like a comfortable, private cupboard in which to continue devouring each other? 'Cause I don't know about anyone else, but this whole thing is fuckin' with my head just a little too much. My mind is goin' places it shouldn't." He looked around and shrugged at the now livid Rosalie. "I'm just sayin' what all of them are thinking, toots, don't get your leotard in a twist."

Bella grabbed onto his bicep and held up a hand toward the now very pissed off pixies. "He didn't mean any offense. He's just even more stunted in the social graces than I am, which I never thought possible. Nevertheless, it's true."

She scowled at him as he protested. "What? We aren't the ones puttin' on a show baby!"

She stood. "Okay, enough of this. We still have the fight training to do, right Jasper?"

The whole group groaned, practically in unison. No one enjoyed getting their asses handed to them, and Jasper did that on a regular basis during his training sessions. Even still, they all rose and paired off.

Just as they were getting into their ready positions, they all heard two female voices bickering loudly as they walked around the side of the house into the back yard. Bella pulled Pete close, ready for anything as she watched the two screeching females argue, completely oblivious to the entire group staring at them.

She relaxed only marginally when Jasper's sister, Charlotte also joined them, a dark look on her face as she joined her brother. "Never again Jasper. I can't tell you how many damn times I wanted to choke the livin' shit outta those two raving harpy's."

Alice smirked at her. "Aw Char, you mean they're worse than me?"

Char eyed her sister-in-law with disdain. "I never thought I'd see the day Alice, but yes, they are worse than you."

She turned to Bella and Pete. "I checked out their marks and listened to their stories, but I'm sure you want to do that for yourselves, so good luck with that. The curly-haired one is Jessica and the other is Lauren. They're wood nymphs." She smirked at them. "Now, I'm going to my tent to decompress for a while. I don't dare spar with anyone while I'm like this. Blood would be shed for sure."

She marched off and they watched her go. Bella turned to Jasper. "Is she easily upset?"

Jasper shook his head. "Nope, she's one of the most patient people I know."

She sighed and nodded. "Damn, I was afraid you were gonna say that."

Just then, they heard Esme shriek. "You keep your hands off him you loose hussy! He's mine!"

They spun around in time to see an uncharacteristically pissed off Esme hauling Lauren away from a mortified Carlisle by one arm and a fistful of her hair as she screeched loudly.

Bella shook her head. "Shit, we need to get control of this." She looked at Pete who was standing there with a smirk, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned casually against a tree. "Well, come on. It's up to us. We need to separate those two from the group and talk to them. We'll take them inside, verify that they even belong here and then set down some rules for them."

Esme tossed Lauren at their feet and loomed over her. "Don't come near him again!" She dusted her hands together as if ridding them of something vile, turned and stalked off.

Bella helped Lauren up. "You're coming with me. I need to speak with you and your friend inside." She turned back to Pete. "Will you go and get the other one and meet us inside?"

He nodded and headed off to where he saw the curly-haired female flirting with a very receptive looking Mike Newton, smirking as he passed Edward who looked to be hiding behind a tree.

He stopped to talk to Angela and Ben on the way. "Hey, Bella and I will be speaking with the two newcomers for a bit and once we see their marks and lay down some needed rules, we're gonna need you to bring them up to speed on the ritual. I'd say that'll be in about a half hour. You two good with that?"

They looked at each other and back at him. "Yeah, that's fine with us."

He turned and headed toward the girl again, sending a "Thanks guys" over his shoulder.

When he got to Jessica and Mike, their faces were locked together and to his increasing nausea, wet sucking sounds were heard amidst their combined moans as their hands roamed freely.

He cleared his throat. "As nauseating as this is, it's time to break this up. Bella and I need to speak to Jessica inside." The two now stared blankly at him and he sighed. "Now." He motioned with his hand and he turned back toward the house, throwing a look back as he walked away. "Let's go! We don't have all day."

Jessica glared at him as she followed, grumbling all the way. "Who died and made you boss? Just who the hell do you think you are, ordering me around?"

He stared straight ahead. "I am Ra. Don't piss me off."

She choked on a gasp. "Forgive me my Lord. I had no idea."

He opened the door and stepped in, glancing at her as she closed the door behind her. "Yeah well, you and your friend didn't exactly bother with introductions when you got here did you? Too busy arguing and scoping out the goods available." She frowned and he continued. "That's going to stop, understand?"

She didn't look happy but she nodded. "Yes."

He turned and led her into the living room. "Good. Have a seat beside your partner in crime and we'll get started."

He sat beside Bella and she took his hand as she looked at the two across from them. "So, first we'll start with introductions. I'm Bella otherwise known as the Goddess Ra and this is Peter, my mate otherwise known as the Sun God Ra. We already know that your names are Jessica and Lauren and that you're wood nymphs. Now, we'd like to see your marks and hear your stories about how you came to be here."

They both pulled up their sleeves and showed their phoenix marks and then took turns telling their stories which were very similar to all the others.

Bella laid down the law about their flirting and making out publicly, asking them to refrain, and they both agreed. All in all, the whole encounter was mercifully brief and they went their separate ways.

Pete sighed and sat back after Jessica and Lauren left the house. "Hopefully they'll behave now. If not, Esme might just tear them up. If Lauren touches Carlisle again, she might not survive to tell the tale." He smirked at the thought.

Bella raised a brow at him. "Just make sure that you aren't egging anything on with your sarcasm."

He looked affronted, one hand placed to his chest as he looked at her. "Would I do something like that?"

Bella laughed as she rose from the couch. "Yes lover, you would. Now come on, we have to make sure that all is ready for the binding ritual. Ben's brewing the potion now while Angela teaches the dynamic duo the steps, since they weren't here to learn with the rest of us. Then I figured we'd head out to the site to set it up and break for dinner after. What do you think of that?"

He nodded as they headed out the door. "Sounds fine to me. I'm just ready for this shit-storm to be over so we can get on with living life. I've never had that opportunity. I'd love to give it a go, ya know?"

She took his hand as they walked toward Ben who was busy stirring the contents of a large cauldron, the brew inside smelling vile, even at a distance. "Jesus, please tell me the dose is tiny. I doubt I could choke down even a mouthful of that horrid shit."

Ben laughed. "You knocking my cooking Pete?"

Pete curled his lip in disgust. "After a whiff of that pot of shit, yeah, I guess I am. Fuck, but it's awful." He shuddered.

Ben nodded. "Yeah, it is for now, but it doesn't contain all the ingredients yet. There are some herbs and flowers that are quite pleasant that I've yet to add."

Pete stood behind Bella, wrapping his arms around her. "Yeah well, I'll reserve judgement, but I gotta say, I'm not optimistic. Sorry."

Angela joined them having finished with Jess and Lauren. "It won't be that bad my Lord. I promise. Just don't ask what's in it."

Bella patted Pete's arm. "They're just teasing. It'll be fine."

He grunted, not convinced in the least. "We'll see."

Bella moved away from him and grabbed a large box of salt. "We're gonna head out and set up the site. We'll see you guys in a bit."

They waved and continued to add things to the cauldron as Bella and Pete walked up to the rest of their group that had just finished sparring in turns with Jasper. "We're going to the site to set up. Anyone willing to help?"

Charlotte stood at the same time as Edward and they both blushed as they glanced at each other quickly before looking away. Pete watched them with interest. It seemed they liked each other, but both were pretty shy. Interesting.

Charlotte grabbed a heavy sledge-hammer, a stake and a pre-measured length of light rope from the supplies they'd purchased. "I'm willing. Let's go."

She smiled as Edward took the stuff from her so she wouldn't have to carry it. "Thank you Edward." He smiled a small smile. "You're welcome."

Pete grinned. "Aww, you two are just too damn cute together."

Bella rolled her eyes and pinched his nipple drawing an outraged hiss from him. "Quiet you. Leave them alone. I think it's sweet."

She began walking out of the yard, a smirking Char and a blushing Edward following her as Pete trailed behind, pouting and grumbling. "Shit, I was just sayin' they are cute. Damn woman. Pinch the hell outta me…"

By the time they had everything set up, it was time to go back and break for dinner. It was a good thing too because everyone was tired and tempers were becoming short, especially Pete's.

No one knew this better than Mike and Jess as he walked by and set the seat of Mike's pants aflame when he saw them making out heavily in the open instead of helping with dinner. "Get to work!" He barked, as Mike shrieked like a girl, jumping around trying to put the tiny, controlled flames out. Pete hadn't been trying to hurt him, just scare the shit out of him and it looked to have been successful. The whole thing brought a smile to his face and he whistled a tune the rest of the trek to the house.

He and Bella had an enjoyable dinner inside, away from the rest of the group. They needed the quiet time together as the stress was beginning to get to both of them. They were worried, but tried to put on a brave face for each other, and it was exhausting.

After they cleaned up from dinner, they made their way to the bedroom and stripped, climbing into the bed, just holding onto each other as they fell into dreamless sleep, both too exhausted for anything else.

They were up and ready early again the next day. It was going to be another intense day full of training. Hopefully it would all go smoothly.

They had just got to the kitchen when Alice popped her head in the door. "Hey, breakfast is ready out here if you two would like to join us."

Bella smiled and took Pete's hand. "That sounds great Alice, thanks."

They headed out the door and found the seats that had been saved for them just as Angela and Esme handed them their plates loaded with food.

Pete's eyes widened at the sight of so much food. "Wow, this looks great. I'm gonna get fat if this keeps up."

Jasper grinned at him. "Don't worry about that. We'll be workin' it off soon enough."

Pete sighed and began to eat. He tried not to talk much during meals as he ate slower than anyone else to begin with. It was very noticeable and he didn't want to be questioned on it. His plan didn't work though and everyone was done way before him. He could feel their curious stares and glances. He knew it wouldn't be long before someone asked about his habits and he was right.

Esme spoke up getting his attention. "My Lord, why do you eat so slowly?" She blushed when her mother, Elizabeth scolded her. "Esme! That's a personal question and you shouldn't have asked it."

Esme turned to him. "Forgive me my Lord. I meant no offense."

He smiled wanly, shaking his head. "No, it's all right. I might as well get this out of the way since I can tell you're all curious about me."

Bella gripped his hand and he smiled at her in silent thanks. "I was taken from my parents by Osiris' minions just a day after my birth and raised in a dungeon cell of the Underworld. I was there, in that same stone cell until October 31'st when I escaped through a ritual performed in a pentagram in the center of my cell. I had no idea that the ritual would free me. I had thought I was simply meditating and connecting with my power as I did every day…"

There were exclamations of shock and outrage throughout the group as he spoke, telling them the details of his life and by the time he had finished, all of the females were wiping tears away and the males looked ready to kill.

"So, yeah… I had made a vow to myself that I would never rush through another meal and so I always take my time. It's probably a ridiculous thing to every normal person, but it's significant to me." He shrugged. "That's the whole story."

Elizabeth leaned into her husband Edward Sr. and dried her tears. "You poor lad. Oh, this blighter needs to be stopped!"

Edward Sr. hugged her close. "We'll get him my dear. We'll stop him."

Pete stood and threw his plate away. "Well, it's time we got to it I think. I'm going to go take some time alone if you all don't mind." He glanced at Bella who was looking at him with understanding plain on her face. "Of course not baby. Take all the time you need."

Pete walked over to the area where they practiced fighting. It was large enough for his pentagram and he felt the need to meditate. He hadn't done it since he'd been here and he was feeling a mounting tension within at the lack of centering himself. He needed this. Desperately.

Quickly bringing the pentagram to life around him, he sat and sank within himself, oblivious to those of the group who now watched avidly, fascinated by the flames as they were. He began whispering a low ancient chant in that dead language that came instinctively to him in his relaxed state, the flames rising and flaring, a breeze now circling around him as his hands rose to the sky and the sun above.

In his mind's eye, he began to see images; images of a crater and a great battle within it. He saw himself fighting with Bella at his back, fighting those behind him. He saw each being in their group and a pride of lions, cutting down any who fought for the Dark. He then began to hear a voice: _"This battle you see my Lord will take place in Meteor Crater in the state of Arizona. You and your followers will go and prepare the battle site. You must bless the site, cleanse it with a ritual you will find in the Book of Shadows and draw the sacred pentagram in the center of the crater. Follow the directions precisely. Do not deviate. You must do this in 36 hours time. Another message will follow letting you know when it's time to fight. Blessed be my Lord and may your light prevail._

The entire group watched in awe as the flames calmed and Peter's body settled back onto the ground from where he had risen as his chant had intensified. If this display of supernatural power had done nothing else, it had driven home to them just who they were following and fighting for. It was a sight they would never forget.

Peter resurfaced to the sight of the group staring, awestruck at him. He waved a hand dismissing the flames around him and stood gracefully. "We need to talk. Gather in the circle."

Once they were all seated he broke the news. "During my meditation, I received a message. The battle will be at a place called Meteor Crater." He looked at Bella. "Do you know the place?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's quite famous. My parents dragged me there when I was small. It wasn't very exciting but I was a small kid. I really had no idea what I was seeing. It looked like hills and dirt to me."

He smiled as others chuckled. "Yeah well, we're going to battle for the fate of the world there, and we have to prepare the site in 36 hours."

The response was immediate, everyone speaking at once, worried faces all around. Bella placed two fingers at her lips and whistled loudly, gaining the groups attentive silence once again. She gestured at Pete and he nodded. "Thank you baby."

"This is not the battle yet, just the preparation of the site, but it's coming soon folks, whether you feel ready or not." He looked to Angela and Ben. "Is there a specific time that's necessary for the binding ritual?"

Angela shook her head. "No my Lord. It's whenever we're ready and we are ready. The potion is done and the site prepared. We're good to go."

He nodded. "That's good because we have to haul ass. I say we break from here, prepare ourselves and meet at the ritual site in half an hour. We have cloaks for everyone? I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd rather not travel to the site in the buff." He smirked.

Alice stood. "We do have the cloaks my Lord. I'll get them and hand them out now."

Charlotte got up and followed her to the supply tent, taking half the bundle and handing them out. They were pure white with an Egyptian sun embroidered into the back. When everyone had one, Pete stood. "All right, half an hour."

He walked off and Bella followed, worried with his abrupt manner. She caught up to him as he opened the door to the house. "Baby, what's wrong? Talk to me."

He pulled her inside the house and shut the door, embracing her closely, just needing to feel her in his arms. "I'm afraid Bella. This is all just becoming so real to me now. The scenes from the battle that I was shown were terrifying even if there were weapons involved. You were there, fighting with me. I just…" He choked on emotion. "I… fuck! I just don't want to lose you. I just got you."

She clutched tightly to him, as tightly as he clung to her, both unsure of what to say. There really wasn't much they could say; the knowledge that they could both die in battle soon in the forefront of their minds and there was nothing they could do to stop the course they had been on their whole lives.

Bella thought she should try though. "We're together in this baby. We'll always be together, no matter what. That and doing our best to off that fucker are the only things that we can promise each other."

He nodded and released her, smiling sadly at her as she met his gaze. He motioned toward the bedroom with his head, a half-hearted smirk now in place. "Shall we go get naked my Goddess?"

She laughed and took his hand. "Yeah, I look forward to seeing that luscious ass of yours again."

He followed her to their room puffing up with pride as he went. "You think my ass is luscious.?"

She smirked as she shut the bedroom door. "Yes." She tossed a cloak at him. "Now get changed. We have a ritual to perform."

They all gathered at the ritual circle and Pete groaned in dread when he saw Ben bring out the tray with vials of potion for each one of them on it. They even had tiny portions set aside for the two pixies. "Aw, damn it. Can't we convert to Christianity? Their apocalypse isn't scheduled for a while yet and they don't have to drink liquified shit before participating. This just isn't fair."

Angela smirked as she handed him his vial. "Suck it up my Lord." He looked at her and just stood there holding the vial. She gestured with her hand. "I meant that literally. Drink it and quit whining…my Lord."

He scowled. "Why am I surrounded with bossy females? Shit, it's not fair. Jesus hung out with twelve dudes and went to parties and shit. I have bossy women and have to drink this crap."

Angela and now Bella stood there, hands on hips, giving him a flat look. "Aw fuck, fine… I'll drink the shit." He uncorked the vial and gagged at the stench. "Oh god damn! That's atrocious." He glanced back at them and they stared. He sighed and downed the stuff with a shudder. He handed the vial back to Angela. "Never again, you hear? The whole fucking world can go to hell in a hand basket before I drink that shit again." He gagged again.

Angela smiled. "Don't worry my Lord. If you throw it up, we made extra portions."

He glared at her, his eyes watering. "I haven't seen any of the rest of you take yours yet. Come on then, let's see how you all do with it."

He watched, arms crossed over his chest as the rest of the group took theirs, feeling vindicated when Jasper, Bella and Charlotte puked theirs up almost immediately.

They looked green as Angela handed them another full vial but managed to toss it back and keep it down that time around. Bella looked at Pete. "I'm sorry for doubting you baby. That shit was indescribably bad."

He looked smug. "I know. I'm thinking we could've just sent a batch of that shit to Osiris and his merry band of fucknuts and this battle would've been over. I sure as hell hope it's more gentle on the exit than it was on the entrance."

He smiled maliciously when Jessica, Lauren and Mike puked next. Angela was starting to lose patience, especially when the three protested taking another dose. "Oh just knock the shit back and quit crying about it!"

They did eventually, after Pete sparked up a flame in his hand while staring at them. They were now ready for the ritual.

Edward whimpered as everyone but him dropped their cloaks, shaking his head until Charlotte touched his arm, giving him a gentle smile. "It's fine Eddie. We're all in the same predicament and no one will be looking."

He sighed and dropped the cloak and they all joined hands inside the circle, the chant they'd memorized coming from them in perfect synchronization. Pete directed his gaze at the pentagram in the center, lighting the candles there as the chant picked up and a glow surrounded them.

They all raised their joined hands skyward as the chant ended and Angela's voice rang out, asking blessings and binding for their group and the power of all the gods and goddesses of light and goodness to infuse them. When she finished, a sphere of pure white light appeared above the pentagram and rays of pure energy shot out, striking each being in the center of their chest. They all rose from the ground, their hands still held high and heads tilted back, gasps heard all around at the sensations from such pure power and the connection they could now feel to each other.

They remained suspended for moments as the light suffused their every cell, empowering, cleansing and binding them.

Their descent was slow and gentle, timed perfectly with the waning light, their feet touching down as it dissipated completely. They dropped their hands and stared around at each other once again awe-struck at what had just taken place.

They remained silent as they donned their cloaks, no one willing to be the first to disrupt the peace that now surrounded them.

They were now fully connected, fully grounded with the earth, the sun and the sky; a force that would bring a reckoning to the Dark in a matter of days.

They were ready.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: We own nothing but the plot. Reviews appreciated. Happy reading.**

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><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>  
><strong>~ Bella's Point of View ~<strong>  
><strong>~ By ncbexie25 ~<strong>

The thirty-six hours before the preparation of the battle site ritual was spent tying up loose ends. After training the rest of the day before away, and then sleeping, they woke for another full day of training.

For the most part, the training had intensified as plans had been made for them to camp at the site until the battle just to make sure that the preparations held up.

More focus was put on training each person for their individual talents. Bella focused on controlling her shields to block the enemy but protect her allies at the same time as separating the shields to protect each individual. Of course, this extra control would work more for Peter's favor since she would only be using her shield on herself and him, but in being able to separate her shields to cover only each person individually she and Peter could split up and work more effectively.

Peter worked on his fire-wielding, but they found he could project fire only from his hands while projecting energy from all over his body. This energy he then used to shock and throw enemy off him, weakening them quickly and working greatly to his advantage.

The warlocks and witches worked on their spell-casting skills, most particularly in the area of protecting their allies by attacking the enemy for them at times. It would rest on their shoulders to protect the rest of the chosen allies as Bella's shield was only for herself and her mate, Peter. They were also practicing—Bella and Peter included—the spells they would need to perform on the battle site.

It turned out that Angela and Ben were most prepared for the situation. They had the candles ready and had already looked in the Book of Shadows the Observer had sent to Bella and Peter for the prayers they would need to speak together. This would be a ritual only for the warlocks and witches. Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie weren't telling anyone what they were going to do, and Jessica and Lauren hadn't volunteered anything of their own.

Peter's knowledge and experience with meditation also proved most useful. Many of the warlocks and witches, including Bella, had trouble with it or had little experience. He coached them in half-hour sessions in the morning and at night until they were all able to meditate as one entity for several minutes.

But there was a shadow forming over Bella, and it was becoming increasingly obvious. Ever since the letter from the Observer that Emmett and Rosalie had delivered, she had been on her best guard so that she could fulfill her role as Peter's mate and protector. At all times, she observed their surroundings, her instincts ready for her shield's activation at a second's notice. She had taken to shield them when they were asleep as well, an experiment she had taken up one night when she had laid away as Peter held her in his arms, fast asleep. She had been restless but trying not to move in Peter's arms, even as her instincts reacted like a live wire to the complete and utter vulnerability that she could see her mate was in due to his state of unconsciousness. It was only when she realized that she was on her way to a panic attack that she relented and activated her shields.

It had been for the best, as she had calmed almost immediately, and only minutes later, with a smile on her face, she was asleep. Peter had woken her the next morning because she still had them encased in her shields and he needed to get up for the toilet. She'd laughed, delighted that it had worked, that she could truly protect him even through sleep, and had immediately let up.

Of course, that glee vanished when they had vacated the house and once again stepped out into open ground. Anything could hide in the thick clumps of bush and tree, waiting to attack and kill her mate. It was driving her lioness insane, the animal within her clawing for freedom, for control, to eliminate the possibility in the one way she understood: violence.

But at the same time, the lioness was scared and needed reassurance. She had noticed that ever since Bella had broached the subject of Peter's fire perhaps being a way for him to mark her—a thought she had purred at in rampant satisfaction—there was a certain degree of constraint in her own mate, that he was not allowing himself to be completely free with her. He had started taking more stock of his emotions, and indeed so when they were intimate. It hurt, and at the same time, worried the lioness. She could understand why her mate would not mark her, even though Bella could.

Bella sighed and shook her head, rolling her shoulders and wincing at the kink in her neck. With her head cocked toward the trees, she noticed a fast-travelling sound that was getting louder and louder coming towards their home. Thinking it a plane or helicopter, she looked up in the sky with a smile on her face and looked for it. But that smile turned into a frown and a gasp as she saw a dark flying object flying straight down at rapid speed.

With a purely femininely animalistic growl, she unleashed her shield, stretching them like a dome over the lands she knew her Peter and the rest of their followers to be in. She was half-crouched, staring up at the object with rapid concentration, trying to determine if it was indeed something threatening. It would be clever for the underworld God Osiris to attack in the one way they never would have suspected—overhead.

She held her shield tight at the object got closer, only releasing her tense pose—though she could feel eyes on her, and indeed Peter's body heat just centimeters away, behind her—when the object seemed to fizzle from the contact with her shield. She sighed, but was still tensed as she stood straight from her crouch, and she spun into Peter's arms.

The palms of her hands and the tips of her fingers glided over every inch of his gorgeous skin, feeling for any injuries though she knew that she had protected him well. With a smirk on her face, she purred as she rubbed her cheek against his chest, up his neck and against his own cheek. Peter was gripping her tight to him, feeling her frenzy and knowing he needed to help her through it, reassure her, even as he was at a loss as to exactly how to go about it.

Bella launched herself into his arms, gripping him tighter than she ever had. She was shaking, tears welling in her eyes as she thought of what could have happened had she not looked into the sky to see the presumed 'plane' fly overhead. She trembled harder at the thought.

"Inside. Now," she gasped into Peter's ear. She couldn't help herself. One way or another, she would have him now. She had to know he was okay, that he was perfectly fine.

Wordlessly, Peter grabbed her up in his arms and took her inside. They barely made it to the bedroom, Bella latching her arms and legs around him, pressing sweet but insistent kisses to every inch of his skin, leaving wet trails of her salty tears behind. She had come so close today. It was always so close. Why could she never protect him to the best of her ability?

She swore to herself then and there that she'd keep him wrapped in her shields whether he liked it or not until this whole fuckery was over. Osiris, hell, no-fucking-body would touch what was hers but her.

She'd unleash her beast on them if they dared to try. The thought alone caused a growl to rip from her throat, and before conscious thought could halt her, she'd ripped Peter's shirt off his body and buried her face in his neck, breathing in his scent over and over to reassure herself that he was here and he was perfectly fine.

"Bella," came the whisper from his lips. She swallowed but didn't respond, too overwhelmed by her emotions and the fact that her mate had come close to being quite possibly very seriously hurt. "Baby, I'm right here. And I'm perfectly fine." His arms closed in on her and he took her over to the bed, laying her down and climbing on top of her as she reached for him, whimpering with the need for him closer.

He undressed them as best he could with Bella clinging to him. She was shaking in his arms now, and when he withdrew and look into her eyes, he saw the unshed tears swimming in her beautiful brown eyes.

"If I hadn't heard it…" she whispered thickly, her hands coming up to his face, her eyes searching his. "Oh, god, Peter…"

He hushed her, kissing away her tears as she wrapped her arms around him once more. He flipped over, and rested her on his chest, holding her close. "It's okay…"

"It's not," she whispered, lifting her head from his chest, resting her chin down on it instead and looking into his eyes, pain within them. "Peter I nearly killed our chances of fulfilling this prophecy… you nearly died, I—"

He cut her off. "It's not your fault, Bella. Hell, I didn't even know until you reacted to it. No one did." He sat up, gripping her chin and staring deeply into her eyes as he told her, "Bella, you saved me, you protected me. You did what you were supposed to do. It doesn't matter how close it came, which really wasn't even that close. We never would have expected an attack of that kind."

She sighed and shook her head stubbornly out of his hold, not answering him. He sighed as well, knowing that she still blamed herself and probably would for a little longer. But he could feel her need for him—the same as how he felt. The need for reassurance of wellbeing, to know that the other is okay, that they as a couple would be okay.

"Peter," she whispered, clenching her legs around his waist. He settled his hands on her lower back, his forehead against hers. Wordlessly, he answered her call, lifting her just a little and slipping into her. Bella barely held in the whimper of relief, and Peter closed his eyes, swallowing hard at the feel of her around him.

Their movements were slow, their caresses sweet and brushing, meant to reassure and explore. Bella's face stayed burrowed against his neck the entire time, and as they came together, he could feel her tears against his neck, sliding down his chest. He clenched his eyes closed, swallowing against the lump in his throat, holding her tighter to him as he breathed in her scent as she did him.

Sometime later, and Peter and Bella were on the bed, the sheet hanging at their waists. Bella was on her back, looking up at Bella as he silently looked back from his position on her right, propped on his left elbow. His right hand was free to explore, to trace, to feel and he did so, relishing in the sweet sighs that fell from his Bella's lips as he traced invisible patterns on her skin, the same heart and ankh combination over and over.

The positioning of her neck saw the whole right side of her neck exposed to him, and his fingers itched to touch her there, to suckle on and explore that bit of skin behind her ear. He'd heard it was sensitive—okay, so Emmett had been nagging him and giving him 'tips'—and he wanted to see if it really was. He eyed that patch of beautifully creamy and tempting skin, seeing the same pattern he'd etched on her skin a thousand times since he'd first been with her, only this time he imagined it glowing that lovely color of their marks.

Unable to resist, he reached out and traced the symbol onto her skin, right from behind her ear to the base of her neck. His eyes were connected to hers, so he had no idea of the sweet fire that seeped from his fingers and onto her skin, marking her as his forever. She gasped at the heat of his touch, stronger than ever before, but it wasn't burning. It was a sweet fire, a good fire, a fire of promises and love and forever. Her hand flew to her neck, encountering his still lingering fingertips on her skin as he leaned down to kiss her. But as she felt the familiar texture of the marks on her wrist and chest now on her neck, she gasped his name and got out from under him and onto the bed.

She heard him behind her, still on the bed, calling her name, asking if something was wrong. But she couldn't answer as her eyes narrowed in on the now glowing mark on her neck, a mark made her mate to claim her. The beast inside her purred and even externally, she felt the tears well in her eyes, the tightening of her throat, the hitch of her breath. He had marked her. He had claimed her as his, just as she had done previously. She felt the craze of her need to claim him settle within this knowledge, her beast content and almost sleepy with the satisfaction and calm that was washing over her in waves.

She felt him come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as he looked to connect his eyes with hers. She smiled at him, tears still in her eyes, and settled back into his arms, her own dropping to meet his. But by then his eyes had already fallen on his mark on her skin and he froze.

"Bella?" he whispered, eyes frozen on the mark that he had drawn onto her skin, forever etched as a sign of his devotion, his love, and yes, indeed, his ownership of her heart and soul. Instead of the horror, the worry, the remorse, he had expected to feel, he felt nothing but positive emotions: happy, calm, sated. He had marked her with his fire, but it hadn't hurt her, hadn't maimed her, nor even killed her. She had been right. But then again, that shouldn't be a surprise to him still; about most things Bella was right.

He had now marked her in the same way she had, and both bodies held that symbolism of love, devotion, and ownership of heart and soul.

As they would forever.

This time, when they made love before they would have to face the others again, it was slow, soft, and sweet. There was no need for marking, no need for restraint. They fell into one another completely and unapologetically, joined forever as one soul, one heart in two bodies.

A little later, they heard their names being called and grudgingly got up and redressed, pulling themselves away from one another. Despite their obvious annoyance and reluctance, the entire gathering could tell that something had changed between them, something profound. There was now no tension in either of them, and they were closer than ever before, orbiting like magnets, like one entity.

"What's this?" Bella asked Alice as she reached them.

Jasper stepped forward to answer. "There is some noise disturbance up ahead about a mile or so. Carlisle has gone to investigate."

"If one more supernatural turns up outta the blue and declares their servitude, I think I'm gonna scream. This place is too fuckin' crowded as it is," Peter groaned, resting his chin on Bella's shoulder. He glared over at Jasper, only half meaning the anger in his gaze. "He dragged us out of bed for a 'noise disturbance'?"

A rustling of leaves ahead brought the conversational murmurs to a stop, especially when Carlisle revealed himself with seven tall, Native American women in simple sun dresses with no shoes on.

Their eyes moved over each and every person in the gathering, but it was only when they landed on Bella that they stopped. All at the same time, they came to stop before her, and seemingly ignoring Peter, they let out growls from between clenched teeth and revealed their marks of the Phoenix.

"Who are you?" Bella asked softly, smiling down at each of them. She felt a strange affinity with each and every one of them; something she recognized in the very fabric of her being. Her lioness's interest was piqued.

The tallest spoke, "We are the pack of Navajo reservation. We have been marked with the sign of the Phoenix, and have dreamed of you, our Goddess Ra and Alpha, our entire lives. Our loyalty lies with you and your mate in pursuit to save our world from the darkness of Osiris. We ourselves also shift into the form of the lioness, and are designed to protect you and yours so that you may achieve your prophecy. We are here to answer the call of your own lioness in search for the pack that she commands. That is us.

"My name is Leah. I have been the acting Alpha for this pack until we were to meet you, our true leader. These behind me are Emily," she gestured to the girl to her right, and turned to do the same for each girl's name she called, "Rachel, Rebecca, Claire, Sue, and Sarah."

Bella smiled and kneeled before them. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I thank you for your servitude and may I say that it is an honor to have you ladies in my pack." She stood and deftly elbowed Peter in the ribs when he grumbled under his breath about having more people around. He'd be able to accommodate.

"We are the children of the Phoenix, Goddess Ra. We receive our strength through the sun and yourself, just as the Children of the Moon receive theirs through the Moon and Osiris."

"What's this about Children of the Moon?" Peter asked, piping right up at the mention of Osiris. He had wondered if the other side would have strange supernatural creatures just as they did. He'd heard whispers of Children of the Moon during his time in that slate cell but he didn't know what they were—he knew nothing about them other than their name and the sound of their growl bursting through their lips.

Leah regarded him for a moment then spoke after a prompting nod from Bella. "They are a pack of werewolves that are controlled by the moon cycle. Every full moon, they shift, and they hunt in a particularly blood thirsty manner. Their main mission is to bring a glimpse of the sort of destruction that Osiris would cause to our earthly plains were he ever to be able to fully enter them. Something he could only do if he defeated you, my Lord and Alpha.

"If Osiris is to use them, as I would believe he is, then he would need to fight on a full moon as that is the only time that the Children of the Moon change."

"In a fight, you would oppose them?" Bella asked the girl. "You seem to be the opposites of one another, true enemies as Peter and I are with Osiris."

"It is true, my Lady, our main purpose is to handle the canine minions. But we are fundamentally different from them; we are not weres, we are lionesses, shapeshifters whose chosen form is the lioness. And we can change at will."

At that, Leah looked to her other companions and as a group, they began to tremble. Bella stood silent, holding her breath as she watched her pack transform from their lithe human bodies into equally as lithe and stunning lionesses. Each stood at around the same height that Bella imagined a normal lioness would, but the knowledge in their eyes held true to the fact that they were not merely animal, but human as well.

Bella herself, taking in the lionesses before her, began to tremble and she stepped away from Peter as it began to overtake her body. She gasped at the shocking pain that took over her body and when she reopened her eyes, she was staring down at the closer earth and stood on all fours, her paws in front of her and digging confidently into the soil beneath them.

She looked up at the lionesses in front of her, and with an animalistic grin, she threw her head back and roared. The answer call from each of her pack mates made her chest puff, and when she looked at Peter and saw the awe in his eyes, she purred and slunk over to him. As he kneeled in front of her, taking in the sight of her in front of him in the form she would protect him in, they felt the charge of their connection and his hand came up to rest on his lioness's face. She purred and leaned into his touch, before turning and slinking back toward her back. There, she was engulfed in a sea of others as they scented her and she them, before each shifted back at the same time. The bond as a pack was complete, and as a pack they were now ready for battle.

Jasper was the first to break the silence, and from his stance and the quiet but commanding tone of his voice, everyone knew he was in his element, already planning. "If we know when the next full moon is as soon as possible, we can start planning. We should find out immediately."

Bella sighed. "How? The internet is shoddy at best out here. Most days it doesn't even work."

"If someone were to run into the closest town, we'd get our answer right quick," Peter said, eyeing both Carlisle and the pack. "It shouldn't be that much of a run, surely."

Carlisle nodded. "I will go."

"No one is allowed to leave without at least one other person with them. It's too risky. From what happened earlier with the airborne weapon, we need to be on guard. Carlisle, I know you're a vampire and a warlock, but I'm still not comfortable with you going alone, and I know that Esme isn't either."

That caused Carlisle to look over at his mate, who was indeed obviously shaken at the possibility. He took her into his arms, kissed her forehead, and nodded. "Perhaps one of the pack?"

"Two," Esme interjected firmly, her Irish accent thick. "You're not going with only one other person; I don't care how impenetrable you are."

He nodded, and smiled down at her. "If it comforts you, then of course." He nodded toward Bella, who turned to the pack.

Leah and Sarah stepped forward. It was obvious they were the oldest of the pack, and from their size, they were strongest. They exchanged a glance. "We will go."

"All right then, that's settled," Peter said with a large smirk, smacking his hands together and rubbing them.

"If you will allow me the time to spell protection against the sunlight, I would appreciate it," Carlisle said. "The last thing I need is to sparkle like diamonds walking through the town for everyone to see. The risk of exposure is the last thing we need at this moment."

"Aww, I dunno, Carlisle," Peter said cheekily, "you're pretty enough to pull it off. And it'll bring those girls running to ya!"

Esme huffed at him, eyes narrowed, and then she turned to Carlisle. "I'll come with you back to the house to get ready."

Carlisle glared over her head at Peter. "Thanks," he mouthed, and then the two disappeared, Carlisle having picked his mate up to run back. Leah and Sarah followed after them.

"This seems awfully dangerous, are you sure it's that necessary?" Edward asked, looking nervously after his sister. "I don't want her hurt if something happens to Carlisle when we're going to be notified by the Observer of the date soon enough." He looked over at his parents, who were obviously feeling the same way, but had not wanted to bring it up.

Charlotte smiled at him and took his hand. "It really is. I know my brother. He's had a lot of experience in this area, and if we know all we can know sooner rather than later, it'll help us. And don't you worry about Carlisle. He's probably the strongest of us outside of the God and Goddess, considering he's a warlock and a vampire. He's practically impenetrable, and his enhanced senses would tell him if danger was coming, as it would especially with Leah and Sarah."

Edward looked at her and after a moment, he nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Charlotte."

She smiled and nodded, squeezing his hand. They pair looked over at Edward's parents, and they, too, nodded at Charlotte in thanks.

"In the meantime, I think we should continue to train," Jasper said strongly, causing most to groan.

Soon, Esme returned, and immediately, they set to work. The lionesses were eager, shifting into their animal forms to practice amongst themselves. They'd had a little experience with the Children of the Moon, whom they would be focusing on in the battle. This time, Bella followed, and they helped her learn the best ways to fight in her form. It turned out, though hardly surprising as it was, that she was a natural, her own lioness guiding her through it from the wisdom of past lives.

Sometime later, they heard the approach of three from the direction that Carlisle and the two lionesses had left. Esme threw herself into his arms, immensely relieved, and began to check him for injuries, fussing over him even as he tried to calm her. The reunion between Leah, Sarah, and the pack was far more sedate, with relieved smiles and nods, and a hug for each with Bella. Peter hugged her closer, squeezing his arm around her tighter, staying quiet as he leaned his chin on her shoulder, taking in his surroundings.

"The next full moon is in two days," Carlisle informed them. There was a collective intake of breath.

"So soon…" Bella murmured, biting her lip, unsure how to feel. On one hand, she was glad that all of it was nearly over, that they would finally be able to fulfill the prophecy—hopefully—and that Peter would get his closure from killing Osiris. Not that she didn't plan to help, oh, boy, did she. She wasn't letting him go into that alone, no way. And she definitely would be taking a swipe at him of her own for hurting her mate for as long as he had.

But at the same time, there was the possibility that in just less than seventy-two hours, she, Peter, and the people around her could be dead. It might be one or two, or hell, all of them. The weight on her shoulders doubled as she realized that it was all on her. As the Observer said, only she and Peter could do this, could defeat Osiris. But Bella had to protect Peter.

She took a deep breath, turning in Peter's arms to embrace him fully. She buried her face in his chest, taking a deep, long pull of his scent a few times before relaxing. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back as determination rose within her. She would not let anyone take from her or any one of their friends—as that was what they had become—the future that they deserved. Seeing the blossoming friendships and indeed relationships, it pained her just the thought of seeing that cut short. So she vowed that she would do everything she could.

And looking up into Peter's eyes, her resolve strengthened even more as he kissed her.

Tonight, they would complete the preparatory cleansing ritual, and then at the rise of the full moon in two nights time, they would battle.

Time moved quickly after they found out what little time they had. Before long, darkness had descended and it was time to complete the preparatory ritual on the battle site. The warlocks and witches with the most knowledge—namely Angela and Ben, whom they had all put unofficially in charge of any rituals that would involve magic—had packed everything needed, and Bella protected their grounds by leaving an impenetrable dome-like shield much like the one she had placed over the area that same morning when she'd thought them, quite rightly, in danger. With the shield blocking mental and physical attacks to their home, there was no way they'd come back to a place anywhere other than safe.

Gathering with everyone else, Bella stood next to Peter as they all joined hands. Before Alice could work her fairy magic and pop them to their destination, Leah spoke up, eyes on the pack's lioness Alpha.

"We would like to request that after your rituals, we are allowed to perform one of our own," she said quietly. "It, too, wards off evil spirits, and is relatively uncomplicated. We have all that we need so that we may go ahead, but we need your permission, Alpha."

Bella looked at each of her lionesses. "Of course you can. Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett are doing their own ritual, so there's no reason why you can't as well."

Leah smiled and nodded gratefully, and they all turned their attention to Alice. She smiled that elfin grin of hers, and her chiming voice told them to "hold on" before there was a rush of air.

When they opened their eyes, they were standing in the middle of the crater, which expanded more than two miles around them. It was an incredible experience.

For several minutes, the group simply took in the majestic surroundings. Bella was recalling the first time she had visited the site, and felt ashamed at finding the outing boring. It sure took her breath away now.

Silently, they all came back to focus and turned in on the circle once more. Quiet murmured words from Angela and Ben told the pack, the leprechaun family, and the three fairies in their midst that they would need the entire site to themselves, and as such, Alice popped them all out to stand on the raised land two miles out. They would know when the time came to rejoin them before instigating their own ritual.

In silence, the magic beings sat in their adopted meditation poses, and closing their eyes, they meditated for several minutes. They would know when it was time to move into the next phase of the ritual, and shortly after, they did.

They had all memorized the words of their protection prayer, and silently, holding hands, they spoke it, requesting that the evil spirits and negative energy stay away, inviting positivity and light.

They then meditated for a shorter period of time, focused on the task to come.

One by one, they each came out of the meditation, and one by one, they stood and received the two candles they would take for the ritual. The God and Goddess were the last to rise and receive. They each lit the candles, and slowly they walked to their own destinations, each taking the candles to their designated area, setting them down in their numerical placement. The candles all formed to take on the shape of the pentagram, with the magic ones standing in the middle to perform the last part of their ritual.

From there, the group gathered again in the center to join hands. As one, their mouths opened and out from their mouths came the words of the ancient cleansing prayers. When the ritual was finished, no one wished to break the incredible sense of oneness and therefore no one spoke.

They were quiet then, and sometime later, they were joined by the pack. The others all watched on reverently and paid their respects in their silence, as Leah spoke.

"The burning of a sage stick brings protection and wards off evil spirits. I will light the sage in the middle of this pentagram, and we will burn the stick for thirty seconds before blowing it out so it produces the smoke we need."

Bella held her silence. Her eyes remained on Leah as she brought out the materials she needed for the fire, and reverently lit the sage. The fire burned brightly and they all watched as the sage caught fire before Leah put it out, smoke coming from it. "First, we must purify every participant. You must rub the smoke that is produced against your body. Cup your hands to catch the smoke, then pass it over yourself, or rub it against your skin. Please start with the head and heart then move down your body. After that, we will walk around the area."

Each participant underwent what Leah had described, being fanned by the turkey feather. Bella found the smoke overwhelming, not having ever done so before, but she managed to quell her reaction some.

For the next time, each pack member walked the perimeter of the battle site quietly. They used their hands to push the smoke to every part of the outer ring, pushing away the negative energies, walking in a single line.

They all came to the center of the pentagram once they were done, and they watched the ashes cool. Once it was done, however, the ashes rose from the thick smoke into the form of a dove. There were murmurs of confusion as this was obviously not meant to happen, but the dove made for Bella and as soon as it touched her hand, it changed its form again into that of a letter.

She looked to Peter, who came forward now the ceremony was finished, and over her shoulder, he read the letter they received from the Observer.

Dear ones,

I congratulate you on finishing your rituals, and thank you for doing them in the correct order. I struggled to find a way to get this to you since the last one was nearly seized by the enemy, and so thought this may be a safer alternative.

I am to inform you that in two nights' time, at the rise of the full moon, you will battle for the fulfillment of the prophecy, and the greater good of the world. Should you fail, the world in all its plains will fall into darkness, and you shall be separated from one another for all eternity.

Blessed be,

Your Observer.

"But we haven't finished all the rituals yet," Peter said, looking toward the fairies. They smiled.

"We flew overhead and bestowed our own ritual after the magic ones did and before the pack. Not to worry," Rosalie said in her cute bell voice, smiling at them from her place wrapped in Emmett's thick arms. Alice, beside them, nodded in confirmation.

Bella sighed. "All right then. Well, I suppose there is nothing else to do here, so why don't we pack up and head back. Before we leave, I'd live to place a protective dome over the area so Osiris or any of his minions can't tamper with what we've done. I'll not have our ceremonies be for naught."

Soon enough, they were back home, and Bella kept the shield up. She had decided that until they were finished saving the world, she'd keep it up just so there was as little stress as there could be before the battle. They hardly needed any negative or nervous energy at the moment.

The group had chosen to eat outside over a bonfire, and so the night was spent with all but Peter speaking, laughing, and even dancing. Bella continuously looked back at her soul mate, a worried frown on her face, as she took in his sudden quiet and almost morose attitude. She said joke after joke, and left many a sentence unfinished for him to pick up on with one of his witticisms, but alas there was no reaction. Not even a smile.

She noticed his haunted eyes following her every move, and occasionally those of their allies. Every time she was within reach, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tight, squeezing her to him as if he was waiting for something or someone to snatch her away.

There was hardly a peep from him all night, and this continued as they lay in bed, naked together, having made soft and tender love, falling asleep in one another's arms. Those three precious words of love were the last she heard before she slipped into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: We own nothing but the plot. Reviews appreciated. Happy reading.**

* * *

><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>  
><strong>~ Peter's Point of View ~<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

Peter awoke to the waning shadows of the early morning, his thoughts still in turmoil, especially with the dreams he'd had during the night. He couldn't seem to banish the images of the upcoming battle from his head and it was affecting him greatly. He felt anger and frustration well up at his inability to control his thoughts and mood and he knew he had to do something about that.

He laid there for a bit and glanced over at his peacefully sleeping mate. She was so still and so deeply asleep that he couldn't bring himself to disturb her so he rose from the bed as quietly as he could and dressed in some workout clothes; just some sweats and a t-shirt. If his mind and body wouldn't give him peace, then he'd work into exhaustion. That had always been an effective coping mechanism for him during his youth and he hoped it would now as well.

He crept quietly into the bathroom and took care of his morning routine, with the exception of a shower. He'd do that after his work-out. He still found that, due to his power, he didn't necessarily need showers, but he enjoyed the warmth and the feel of the water, so he indulged. Why not? There were still very few pleasures that he gleaned from his life so he took them where he could find them.

He glanced at himself in the mirror and sighed as he thought about the first time he'd seen his reflection. It'd been startling, to say the least as he'd never seen his own face before. He'd had no idea he was looking at himself until Bella, with a sympathetic laugh, had explained it to him. He'd felt like an idiot afterward, but as always, Bella had made him feel better about the whole thing while still managing to chuckle through it. The memory made him smile and he left the room quietly. It was time to tackle his demons.

He made his way to the training circle just as the first light of the sun broke over the mountains in the distance, breathing deeply of the cool morning air as he stretched.

Rolling his work-out mat onto the bare ground, he laid down on his back and began doing sit-ups; the first of hundreds. He'd beat these thoughts and regain focus through the shedding of sweat and the burn of well worked muscle. He was determined.

~o0o~

Bella awoke slowly, stretching and reaching, her eyes snapping open when she felt the empty place next to her where Peter belonged. Worry overtook her immediately at his absence. This was unusual. He'd waited for her to awake every morning since his arrival in her life and she'd adjusted to his presence so fully that it felt as though she was missing part of herself without him next to her. She flopped over on her back as she thought how ridiculous she was being. He's a grown man after all, but still… she worried.

Grumbling to herself, she rose from the bed, deciding it was time to get up and start the day. It was going to be another busy one. She scoffed at the thought. Since when wasn't it busy now? It's as though her life had gone from zero to one hundred miles per hour in a day, but she wouldn't go back for anything. This craziness brought Peter to her and that's all that mattered. She'd put up with anything for him.

Once she had showered and dressed, she made her way out to the back yard. She didn't bother with making breakfast inside anymore since she knew that it was ready to go outside. Esme, Elizabeth and Char were all excellent cooks and she didn't mind handing over that chore in the least.

She walked out and made her way to the kitchen tent amidst many good-natured greetings, to which she responded with smiles and a wave.

She grabbed a plate from the stack and looked at the food they'd made, choosing some scrambled eggs and bacon. She smiled at Charlotte when she walked in. "Hey there Char. How's it going?"

Charlotte blushed. "It's really good Bella. Better than it's ever been for me." She smiled a shy smile and Bella grinned.

"That wouldn't be because of a certain young leprechaun, now would it?"

Char grinned. "Shh! Too loud! He might hear you!"

Bella rolled her eyes as she filled a cup with juice. "Oh, and that would be terrible. You two make a wonderful couple."

Char looked down. "Thank you Bella. I'm just afraid I'll scare him away, I guess."

Bella sat down and ate quickly, finishing the last bite in her mouth before speaking. "Char…" she took a sip of juice, "…really, he likes you way too much for that to happen. Trust me."

Char looked at her with hope shining in her eyes and Bella rose from the chair. "Stop worrying so much and just enjoy each other. Believe me when I say it's worth it." Char smiled and nodded and Bella walked out feeling pretty good about the two. Now it was time to go and find her love.

She used her senses to find him sitting amidst the trees not too far from the house, but still far enough that he had his privacy. She knew that after living his whole life completely alone, the small crowd they now had here got to him at times and he had to separate himself just to relieve the tension that built inside him.

She sat next to him, keeping her silence, just letting the feeling of their connection hum through and around them. It was a comforting feeling and she knew he felt it too. She also knew that he needed the quiet, so she waited for him to speak when he was ready.

It took about ten minutes of them just being together before he finally spoke but when he did it was worth the wait. "I love you Bella."

She smiled and tucked herself under the arm he raised to place around her. "I love you too Peter. So much." Their voices were quiet, neither of them wanting to spoil the peace they found themselves in, so they sat for long moments in silence.

She finally spoke again. "You were up early this morning."

He glanced at her. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep anymore and didn't want to wake you so I came out and worked out for a bit before eating, then took a shower. You were still sleeping so I came out here just to think." He glanced down at her again. "It's all so much to take in, ya know? I wouldn't believe any of it if I wasn't experiencing it."

She chuckled. "I know exactly what you mean."

He sighed. "Yeah, maybe. Don't get me wrong. I know your life wasn't all sunshine and roses, but… damn, I was raised in a stone cage with no one and nothing… I've never known parents, never had contact with people and I yearn for all of that Bella. I want to live. And to get here, and then find out I'm here just to have to fight this battle with some ancient asshole that I've never laid eyes on, that I could die so fucking soon after gaining the first bit of freedom I've ever known…"

He pulled away from her, sitting forward, his forehead resting on his bent knees. She placed a hand on his back and was startled to feel him tremble with his emotions.  
>"What is it baby? How can I help?"<p>

She gasped as he surged up from where he sat, hands balled into fists. "You can't! No one can! There's nothing to be done. I know I have to do this and after all the shit that my entire life has been, that fact pisses me off!"

She sucked in a breath when some loose branches lying on the ground burst into flames. She didn't get upset at him though because she knew that his anger wasn't against her, but at his situation and it was completely justified as far as she was concerned. She knew that he hadn't been far from a blow-up such as this, she just hadn't known when it would happen. She was grateful they were alone for it.

She stood and went to him, her hand moving slowly to rub his back as she spoke softly. "Peter, I'm here for you baby. You'll never be alone again, I vow it." She laid her head against his shoulder. "We're in this together, to the end, whatever that end may be."

He blew out a breath and pulled her into his arms, the tension slowly leaving him as he calmed. He finally nodded against her shoulder. "I'm okay now. I just needed to vent a bit."

She chuckled as she glanced pointedly at the burning branches. "I can see that, and I understand."

He smiled and leaned in, his lips brushing lightly against hers, gently, lovingly. It was reverent and she felt tears in her eyes at the sweetness of it. "You are my life Isabella." He murmured against her lips.

Emotion overcame her and she held his face in both hands, deepening their kiss, their passions flaring to life in an instant as they opened to each other, tasting, teasing, connecting.

She backed away with a sigh as Alice and Jasper broke through into their small clearing, Jasper tossing a bucket of water on the briskly burning branches. Bella looked at Alice who had turned to them, poised to speak. She held up a hand to her. "Yeah, we know, crisis averted."

Alice smiled as Jasper chuckled. "Just so my Lord and Lady. As you were." She and a smirking Jasper turned and left and Pete took Bella's hand. "Suppose it's time to get back to the others."

She squeezed his hand and they began walking back. "Yep. No flaking off for us until after the evil bastard is dead."

When they arrived back with the group, Peter called for everyone to gather in their meeting circle, which had grown to include the Navajo women who had joined them. Pete still wasn't used to their piercing stares, but he tried not to mind because they were there to aid Bella and that was enough for him, unsettling though they may be.

He sat next to Bella when all had assembled and fell silent. "Well, as you know, the full moon is tomorrow night. That also means it's the night we will all do battle to save ourselves and the world." He glanced around at the now somber group. "We've done our best to prepare in the time we've been given and now it's time to break camp here and move to the battle site. Take only the essentials. Let's get it done, shall we?" He stood with Bella and the group followed, everyone working to quickly pack up and move out.

Pete helped Bella ready the house to be empty. They had hopes to be back soon, but there were no guarantees and so they prepared it as though they'd be gone for a while.

After packing up some clothes and personal items, they were ready to go. They just had to wait on the rest of their group.

He slung their bags over his shoulder and grabbed her hand, looking around the inside of the little house that had been his first real home. He felt a pang in his chest at the thought that this could be his last time seeing it.

The all too familiar rage filled him and he straightened his spine and shoulders, cold resolve turning his vivid blue eyes into azure ice. Bella squeezed his hand, shooting him a concerned look and he nodded once, sharply. "Let's go kick this fucker's ass baby." She gave him a small smile, sadness and resolve shining in her eyes as they walked out and she locked the door after them.

They joined the group who had already sectioned themselves off into smaller groups for Alice to transport with her power, each group carrying a bundle of supplies for the camp. They wouldn't take it all, just the necessities since they wouldn't be there for long. After the battle, they'd either be victorious and free, dead, or imprisoned. With any of those eventualities, ample supplies weren't required.

Alice and Jasper were going to combine their power to transport their followers a few at a time. Pete was thankful for Alice's ability. If they didn't have her, they would have needed a bus to get them all to Meteor Crater. As it was, Alice could have them there in seconds per small group. After the last group transport had drained her of energy for an entire day afterward, Jasper had insisted on splitting them up to ease the strain on his mate and Peter had agreed. It was dangerous for her to be so depleted.

Alice walked over to them when she saw them come from the house. "I think I should transport you two first, that way you can oversee the set up and make sure it all goes smoothly. I'll transport Carlisle by himself last due to the large amount of medical supplies he's taking along with a tent. He wants to make sure he's ready for any injuries."

Pete nodded. "We're lucky to have him considering what's about to take place."

Bella leaned into him, rubbing his arm. "We're fortunate to have all of them with us. I can't see us doing this alone, that's for sure."

Alice smiled. "Well, you're not alone. We're all in this together." Bella and Pete nodded, holding each other close, neither wanting to waste a moment since their time was growing so short. Alice moved close and placed a hand on them, meeting their eyes. "You ready? Just bend your knees a bit on the landing and you should be fine."

Bella took a bracing breath. "Yep, let's go."

Turns out, Alice was right. It wasn't a bad way to travel even though it seemed to go much faster with so few beings traveling at a time.

They quickly found the spot they had chosen to set up and waited for the rest of the group to begin arriving. When they did, they worked as a well-oiled machine and the camp was set up in no time. Pete was shocked to see that even Jessica and Lauren were busy and not causing trouble. He was guessing that the seriousness of the situation had finally reached them. It had just taken a bit longer than it had for the rest of them.

Peter walked around the entire camp, making sure that everyone was settled and then went looking for Bella. He found her sitting in the shade of their tent and sat beside her, pulling her close as he reclined back against a cooler filled with bottles of water and ice. She remained quiet, holding his arms to her where they circled her waist as he nuzzled his face into her neck just below her ear, placing light kisses there. She chuckled, tilting her head to give him more room as she spoke. "Hi baby. Everything all set?"

He nodded against her, murmuring quietly between kisses. "Yep, seems to be. They're starting on dinner, you hungry?"

She turned her head and caught his lips in a kiss, just enjoying their closeness. "Yeah, I could eat." She whispered out against his lips, her eyes closed, just taking him in. She backed away enough to meet his gaze. "But then I want time alone with you. I want us to enjoy this night and each other."

His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing softly over her bottom lip as so much love and need passed between them when their eyes met again. "We will Bella. I want that too."

She leaned into his touch and smiled. "Good, then let's go get dinner out of the way."

He chuckled and rose, helping her up with him. "By all means, let's."

When they arrived at the kitchen tent, they could tell that the mood of the group had livened a bit as everyone talked and laughed as they got their food and sat down to eat. Even the Navajo women were mingling and involved in lively discussion. Peter was glad to see it. Anything was better than the somber shadow that had seemed to blanket them upon their meeting about the move here.

He and Bella had just sat down to eat when Alice approached. "My Lord, my Lady, I have to leave for a bit to retrieve a package from the Observer. I will be back in just a bit. Shouldn't take long at all, but I didn't want to leave without letting you know. Jasper will be going with me."

Pete wiped his mouth with a napkin and nodded. "Thank you for letting us know Alice. Any idea what it is you're to pick up?"

"No, I'm afraid not my Lord, although I'm certain it's vital for the battle."

Bella smiled up at her. "Thanks Alice, and be careful."

Alice flitted off with a smile, a musical sounding "Will do" drifting back to them as she joined Jasper, both disappearing with a 'pop'.

Pete glanced at Bella as they continued on with dinner, smiling as she wrinkled her nose and picked a large piece of onion out of her salad. "Don't care for onions, eh?"

She frowned at him, her upper lip curling a bit. "No, they're vile and my mother used to use them in everything she cooked. I can't count the times I was stuck at the table, refusing to eat the food on my plate while she insisted that I do. She eventually gave up and began making food specifically for me to eat while she and my father had something different. The first dinner that she did that was a shining moment in my history. I'll never forget it."

He chuckled. "And you were such a sweet looking little girl too. I never would have guessed you had such a stubborn streak."

She shook her head and took a drink from her bottled water. "Oh, I didn't. Not really. Just with things I felt strongly about, and believe me, I felt strongly about not eating food that would make me gag." She smirked at him and he laughed quietly.

"Well, I wasn't picky. I was just happy that they couldn't starve me and the food had to be fresh and good. I didn't question my one meal a day beyond that, believe me."

She looked down and he could tell she was feeling guilty again. "I bet. Your body needed every calorie it got, I'm sure, no matter what form they came in."

He set his plate aside and took her free hand. "Hey, it's all in the past and I don't want you feeling bad about it. There's nothing that can change the past and I'm okay now. I have you."

She smiled and met his eyes. "Yeah, we have each other."

"Right." He kissed her hand. "That's all that matters to me."

He took up his plate and had just begun eating again when Alice and Jasper popped back in carrying a long, heavy bundle with a note attached. "My Lord, my Lady, this is for you. I don't know what's inside it, but I can speculate. I'd rather you find out for yourselves though, so here ya go." They laid the bundle down next to Pete and backed away. "We're going to go get dinner now. We'll be around if you have any questions."

He gave a nod. "Thank you both."

He gathered their empty plates and walked over, placing them in the trash bag that hung from the side of the kitchen tent. He smiled and gave a lazy wave to the group sitting nearby. "Thank you for dinner ladies. It was excellent, as always."

Elizabeth answered, her Irish brogue bringing a smile to his lips. "It's our pleasure my Lord. We're happy to do it."

He went back to his tent and sat down, pulling the long, heavy bundle closer. "Time to open the mystery package, eh?" He looked at Bella as he unfolded the note he'd pulled from it.

"Yeah. What does the note say?"

"Well, it says that these are weapons that some of us will require. The staves are for the wood nymphs." He looked up, wide-eyed. "Jesus, just the thought of arming those two with a weapon…" He shook his head slowly in dread as Bella laughed and slapped him on the arm.

"What, did you think to have them fight bare-handed?"

"Well fuck, I kinda thought they could just talk a couple of the evil minions to death."

"Come on now, baby, they've calmed somewhat. They're not as bad as when they first arrived."

He raised one brow at her with a smirk to match and she sighed. "Okay, I see your point, but perhaps they'll be effective fighters? I mean, they must have some redeeming qualities that shone through to cause them to be chosen… right?"

He looked doubtful. "Yeah, perhaps the fact that whoever was doing the choosing never met them." He moved the staves aside and Bella nodded.

"Perhaps…" She leaned over to get a better look just as Pete pulled a long item wrapped in oilcloth from the bundle. "What's that baby?"

He hefted it and began to unwrap the cloth from it. "The note says this is for me."

Bella gasped as the cloth finally fell away, revealing a gleaming sword, the hilt marked and bedecked with gems in the same fashion of their arm-bands. "God, it's beautiful, Pete." She met his eyes. "Is it heavy?"

He stood and backed away, taking a practice swing with it and Bella marveled at the sight of him with it. He wielded it as though he'd been born to it.

"It's very balanced and feels natural to me." There was awe in his voice as he spoke. "What the fuck? I've never swung a sword in my life..."

Alice and Jasper joined them then and Jasper gave a slow nod. "Perhaps not in this life, my Lord, but you have wielded a sword, for thousands of years and in two of these such battles against the Dark One."

Pete continued practicing with the sword, moving away to a safer distance and Bella caught Jasper's attention. "How do you know this Jasper?"

"Well, I love the history of war. Always have, and so I studied everything I could get my hands on concerning it. I soon came to be bored with the wars of mortal man and took up studying what is considered mythology." He smiled a crooked smile. "You two are in lots of books on the subject, translated from ancient texts that have since been lost, and it's all considered myth, but they're surprisingly detailed."

Bella looked down at her hands, a lump in her throat when she asked the next question. "What happened, Jasper?" She met his somber eyes. "The last two times, I mean. How'd we die?"

Jasper sighed, running a hand through his hair. He'd suspected this question would come when they initiated this conversation, but he still dreaded telling her. He knew it would cause pain, but she needed to know to avoid the same mistakes in this third and final battle. "You were stripped of your arm-band Bella, while in your lioness form. Your shield around Ra dropped and the shadow demons got to him. They are the only beings that Osiris has with the ability to kill him. They do so by engulfing him with their darkness. They have no tangible bodies but somehow, they manage to drain all light and power from him and he dies. When that happened in the two previous battles, you gave up in grief and despair, and let them kill you."

A tear traced down her cheek as she absorbed his words. It was her fault. In some way, she'd always known, but now it was real to her and she felt like roaring in her pain and anger. She looked up at Jasper again and he almost gasped at the ferocity in her eyes. "I won't fail him again. I'll die protecting him if I must, but I shall not fail him."

He inclined his head in respect. "As you say, my Lady. We believe in you."

After reading the note, she handed over the rest of the bundle to Jasper. "If you would distribute these to the proper beings, I would be grateful. I've a need to be alone with him." She looked at Pete just as he finished practicing swinging the blade, his eyes alight with excitement and a sheen of sweat on his skin. He was beautiful and she needed him.

She watched as he dried himself with a towel, his t-shirt clinging to every cut muscle as they flexed and contracted with his every move. Her want of him suffused her body with heat and passion as a low purr sounded from her chest.

He looked over at her then, as if he could feel her need, his eyes lighting with an answering heat as he made his way to her.

They came together in a perfect embrace, lips meeting, taking and giving as their bodies fell to the bedding spread within their tent.

Their love was expressed in a tender manner with loving, reverent touches mapping every inch of the other with gentle hands and languid kisses.

Clothes were shed piece by piece, with slow patience prevailing, neither willing to rush through this building and simmering passion, both needing to savor… to remember, each detail.

He covered her with his body, their eyes locked as he entered her, causing tears to trace down into her hair at the beauty and perfection of their connection. This was much more than just physical; it was two souls dancing a slow sensual dance as old as time and they were overcome with the profundity of it as he pleasured her just as he took his pleasure.

Tears filled his eyes and spilled over as he cupped her face, knowing they were both at the pinnacle. "Are you ready my love?" He whispered to her.

The tightening around his length gave him his answer moments before her whispered "Yes" and they peaked together, forehead to forehead, their lips capturing each other's panted breaths before melding in a kiss as they spiraled together in their release. He moved off to the side, keeping her wrapped in his embrace, their worries and fears chased away by the peace they had made together. It was enough for both of them, at least for now and they both sighed as they slipped off into dreams of each other and the life they might have one day…if only…

They awoke the next day as the soft sunlight filtered through to them, their bodies still tangled together in a lazy sprawl, her hair spilling across his strong chest which he now ran his fingers through. "Good morning, my Goddess."

She turned her head, placing a slow kiss on his chest. "Good morning, my love."

He kept his voice low, his fingers tracing the curve of her shoulder and back. "We should get up. I think we should make sure that everyone with weapons uses the daylight to practice. I also think that we should gather and meditate in the pentagram when the sun is at its highest point as the book mentioned doing. We could use all the power we can get."

She sighed and he felt her slight nod. "You're right of course, but I don't want to move. I don't want to lose the feel of you wrapped around me."

His fingers traced back up and over her ribs. "We'll have many more mornings such as this Bella. Don't doubt it. We're going to win this time, baby, I can feel it."

Fear gripped her at the thought of one more failure; at the thought that this was it. There would be no more opportunities after this. They would spend eternity imprisoned in darkness if they failed and she clenched her eyes closed, trying to desperately stay the tears that threatened to fall. She couldn't afford to break, to crumble. She had to stay strong for him, so instead, she let cold rage fill her, breathing deeply as that rage shored up her determination. She would do this. There was no other choice.

They spent the day, just as he suggested, overseeing, along with Jasper, the practice and skill of their fighters.

At noon, they broke and made their way to the outer ring of the pentagram, spacing themselves evenly as they began to meditate, with Peter at the center, his chant a prayer of power and protection for them all. Just like all the other times they had come together, it was an awe-inspiring experience, this time only felt within, but profoundly.

They all went back to camp, surprised to see that it was time to make dinner. They had meditated for hours with the low position of the sun to attest at the lengthy duration as they surfaced from their centers.

The meal was a quiet affair as everyone realized the nearness of the looming battle. Pete stood amongst them as they finished, his voice strong and sure as he spoke. "Tonight we're faced with the greatest evil this world has ever known. It falls to us to see it destroyed and destroy it we must. There is no other option; no second or third chance for those have already been and gone. You were, each of you, chosen for a purpose. I believe you were chosen because you are the best and from what I witnessed today, I know I'm right. Take heart in that. Let it fill you, build you up and empower you. Someone wiser than I saw that prowess in each one of you too and so brought us here, to this place and time. We shall be the victors tonight my friends. The Light shall prevail, even through the darkest of nights."

He turned then with Bella in his arms and they all turned with him, watching as the sun set off in the horizon, the last rays painting the desert sky in hues of orange, pink and purple before finally, slowly fading to black.

Now they only waited on the rise of the Moon and the fight for their fate that would come with it.

As the moon began to peek over the horizon, everyone changed into comfortable, close-fitting clothes that would allow ease of movement. When they gathered back in the open space encircled by the tents, Jasper began putting them through warm-up paces. Nothing exhausting, but enough to ready them to move at their peaks with all possible speed and precision.

Pete stood quietly, still centered and focused from the earlier meditation, his sword sheathed at his side. Bella stood next to him in her white cloak, ready to transform at the first hint of their enemy's presence.

He looked up at the moon's progression and caught Jasper's attention. "I think it's time to take our places within the crater."

Jasper nodded, "Yes, my Lord." and began telling everyone to move out and take up their positions.

Pete offered Bella his arm and she took it as they trailed closely behind their group, placing themselves front and center when they formed up. They knew this order wouldn't last when the fighting began but Pete had a need to face his tormenter straight on from the outset. He had one hell of a debt to collect and he meant to do it by shedding the bastard's blood as soon as possible.

When the moon was at its peak, everyone glanced over at the Navajo women who had begun to growl and tremble. The beta from the group looked to Bella, her expression fierce. "The evil approaches my Lady. It is time for us to shift."

Bella turned to Pete as the Navajo's shimmered and shifted, placing her hand on his face, the face that was the most precious in the world to her. She leaned in closely, her cheek against his as she whispered. "I shall not fail you, my love." She kissed him then trying to convey all her love in mere moments before backing away and dropping her cloak.

He grabbed her hand as she began to shimmer, placing a fleeting kiss to it as she pulled away to shift.

She roared out at the feeling of evil that drew closer and closer, her pride following suit, and Pete pulled his sword, the blade singing from its sheath as it flared to life from his power that coursed through it.

"Osiris!" He yelled out. "Come on, you filthy slime! You will die this night by my blade, I vow it! You have but to show your cowardly self. Come and face me!"

All remained quiet with the exception of the low growls coming from the pacing pride of lions.

That was until they all discerned a high-pitched evil laugh, coming from the back of a crowd of shadowy figures that seeped toward them from the deep shadows at the rim of the crater.

"Shielding yourself with your minions I see, you cowardly piece of shit. Come out here, front and center and face me. If you're any kind of leader, you will!"

That sinister laugh sounded again. "You think I care about being an honorable leader do you, noble Ra? You're sadly mistaken, and that has always been your problem and downfall. You see, I have always used every means to beat you. I've succeeded twice now. Tonight, I will succeed again." He lifted his staff and smokey black lightning shot out, entering the rank of shadowy figures at the front which began to advance.

Pete heard Bella roar and felt the comfort of her shield wrap him as a literal hell of instant battle broke out within the bowl of the crater.

He swung his blade, slicing cleanly through the throat of what looked to be, to his horror, a werewolf. He didn't have time to dwell on it though as he was beset by another minion immediately who shrieked and screamed when his blade pierced its middle.

He glanced around the field after his latest kill and noticed the wood nymphs holding their own with their staves, impressed by their skill. Carlisle was back to back with Esme, each handling their opponents with skill, Carlisle with his hands and teeth, Esme with her leprechaun magic and a large dagger.

He took heart as he saw other's paired up and fighting; Char and Edward, Ben and Angela, Alice and Jasper… even the little pixies flitted and attacked, before flitting away again, their sharp teeth and Emmett's arrows of light taking out shadow demons one at a time, with precision. Edward Sr and Elizabeth had each other's backs too, their leprechaun magic and daggers very effective against the more human looking minions that beset them.

He looked around further, searching frantically for Osiris, wanting… no needing, to kill that bastard. The feeling consumed him even as he pierced through yet another minion.

He was swarmed by shadow demons that groaned and hovered around him. They seemed to be waiting on something, but whatever that something was, he didn't know.

He took one last look around and spotted Osiris across the chaos from him, determination filling him as he steadily made his way to his destiny. The evil fucker would die this night. He was on his way to make sure.

Bella engaged yet another Child of the Moon, the rabid beast's claws and teeth barely grazing her as she twisted and spun with lightning speed. She glanced around after ripping out the creature's throat and noticed Peter moving steadily through the chaos, swinging and slicing through the evil. He looked to have a destination in mind but she didn't have time to register just what he was after as she was attacked by two more werewolves doing their best to take her out.

She twisted to her left, concentrating her efforts on the closest werewolf as he dove, nipped and retreated, almost as if he were baiting her. This pissed her off and she roared out and charged at him, completely turning her back to the other wolf. She realized her mistake as the wolf behind her bit into her right front leg and she roared in pain and anguish, realizing, too late, that she'd just been stripped of the precious, and all too vital arm-band that rode there. Her heart sank and she loosed an anguished, high-pitched roar of distress, calling her pride to her defense. She needed to shift back and replace the band on her arm. The pride surrounded her immediately and she shimmered back to human form, searching frantically for the band, tears streaming down her face in her terror. This just couldn't happen again! It just couldn't!

She felt relief fill her as her hand closed on the gold ring and she stood, poised to slide it back into place, when the most anguished scream pierced her heart from across the way.

Her head snapped up and she saw no less than five shadow demons engulf her love, his screams of agony cutting straight through her as the demons began draining Peter of his light and life. It took no more than scant seconds to happen and she jammed the band back on her arm, trying to shield him again but realizing with despair that the demons had enshrouded him too tightly. She couldn't get between her love and the vile beings that now progressively drained him. This would have to be a physical fight and so she transformed, determined to save him or die trying.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: We own nothing but the plot. Reviews appreciated. Happy reading.**

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><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>  
><strong>~ Bella's Point of View ~<strong>  
><strong>~ By ncbexie25 ~<strong>

Bella threw her head back and roared as she saw and felt the love of her existence's light fade as he was surrounded by the vermin shadows. It had happened again. Against all of her attempts, she had failed him again.

On instinct, she leaped towards them. Rushing past their allies, the people had become their friends, she met the eyes of Leah, and through a glance and a blink, she communicated her plan. Oh, the splendor of linked minds.

Viciously, the pack threw their heads back and echoed the call of their Alpha, before they launched their attack ten times harder against their enemy. They would not fail their Mistress. They each had a role to play, and fate would have it that the God and Goddess Ra would have to fight together to save the world, and indeed, each other.

Bella's surroundings blurred around her, eyes focused on her target. In her animal form, the lips of the beast pulled back over her teeth, and a snarl wrenched from her being as she reached the scene before them.

Using her powerful legs, she leapt into the air and into the middle of their swarm of shadows surrounding her mate. Her mind was racing a hundred miles an hour, but all she could hear over and over again was his name. _Peter. Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter._

_Peter._

_Hang on, baby, I'm coming_, she begged him silently.

She growled as she touched the ground again, landing over her mate who lay on the ground still now. In an instant, she had separated the shields and surrounded the shadows in them, her mind overwhelmed with relief. She had made it to him.

With a smirk touching her lips, she squeezed her shields around the shadows until there was nothing but air, their deathly moaning howls signaling their death until she was met by nothing but silence and finally, she could see around her. Growling as she eyed the God of the Underworld in front of her, she smirked triumphantly, smug with satisfaction. They would not fail now that the only beasts who could kill her love were dead.

Slowly, she slinked away from her mate's body, feeling his energy zing through her as he recovered rapidly now the threat was gone and his light restored. He hopped up on his feet to stand beside her, reaching down to grab his sword.

Side by side, God and Goddess stood united faced against their enemy. An enemy who now knew that he had failed, and seemed to be looking for a dignified way out; he did not want to retreat to the darkness and decay of the underworld.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the Goddess snuck forward, the shoulders of her beast rolling under the skin, hunches raised as she growled menacingly. She would hurt him for the hurt he had caused her mate all those years, and indeed just then before Osiris met her love's sword.

Briefly, their eyes connected, and Osiris knew he would meet his end. His soul would be returned to his domain, but he would never again threaten them, or the world they protected.

The God spoke, his voice dead calm among the raging sounds of war and death around him. "You tried, Osiris, but you failed. You have become far too greedy. We will succeed this night, and you will never again see the light of day. I told you would die by my sword, and I was right. My mate could not fail me again. It was only by fate's design that we lost the previous two battles." With that knowing smirk on his face, he rested his hot palm on his mate's back, and stroking once, he murmured for only her to hear. "Do your worst, my love."

With a vicious snarl, her hackles raised, and then she surged forward. Air borne, she took advantage of the height and pushed Osiris onto his back, landing on top of him, rearing back her right paw as if to punch were she human, she swung forward and reveled in the loud snap that rung through the area. She did the same with the other paw, hearing again the same kind of crack, before she roared in his face, but he used this moment of her's to his advantage.

Rolling them so she lay on her back with him on top of her, he wrapped his large hands around her neck, shaking and squeezing until she was seeing spots. Her head shook from the exertion of simply moving, but her eyes met those of her mate, and with renewed determination, she reached with her teeth to rip at his head, loosening it from the tendons in his neck and thus the rest of his body. Rolling him over, and spitting what remained in her mouth of him, she used her sharp claws to scratch every part of him that she could reach before leaving him for her counterpart to finish off.

With satisfaction, she watched as her mate walked forward, seeing the raw power within him as he lifted the sword in his hands and swung with a strength and speed that would rival the best swordsman in the world. Clean, he swiped the Dark One's head off, before taking the bloodied blade and jolting in through the man, making his back arch from the force, as it pierced through the skin of his chest and through his very heart.

Osiris's body darkened to nothing, and they watched as his soul and body seeped through the ground and into the Underworld. And with the knowledge that they had succeeded, the Goddess threw her head back and roared up to the heavens above, capturing the attention of all allies, who were fighting the last of the minions when they, too, disappeared. God and Goddess smirked at one another; he had given up, the coward he was, at his death.

And all around them, the shouts and roars of victory rose to the heavens. All around, across the plains of existence, their victory was heard. And praised.

And the Observer, in his study, smiled to himself, and shaking his shinning black-haired head, he sent his last message out into the world to find them.

~o0o~

"I'm gonna miss you so much!" Alice chimed, wrapping her arms around the both of them. Bella smiled and kissed her friend on the cheek, looking over at Peter as he patted Jasper on the back, both wearing matching grins.

It had been a few days, and after the battle, a lot had still happened.

They had debriefed as a group, and many an injury was left to Carlisle for his healing abilities, Esme in turn taking care of her mate's injuries as well. Peter had been perfectly fine despite his all-too-close encounter with death, but at Bella's urgings, he had sighed and resigned himself to a full check up with Carlisle, who'd given him the perfect bill of health.

The most surprising of events was the letter they received, the final from the Observer, which they were informed would be the last. The group was incredulous as they read of the gift they'd been gifted upon their success, and still, despite many a conversation, they could scarcely believe it.

They'd been gifted with immortality.

Yes, three had already had the ability to live forever—Carlisle, as a vampire, and Peter and Bella as God and Goddess. But they would spend theirs on earth, with the allies who had become their close friends and family.

She'd laughed when Peter had groaned and suggested that maybe that wasn't such a great idea for some people—the nymphs—because they'd eventually grow bored of trying to fuck everyone in the world and then they'd be in for some scary shit.

She'd laughed smacked his shoulder, but silently agreed. An eternity with them to talk their ears off… or anyone's ears off… she could hardly think of the idea without wincing.

They'd agreed to meet every year for a time around the dates that they'd saved the world. Peter, in his usually quipping style, had said that since they'd saved the world but nobody would ever know, the least they could do was have their own private party every year to celebrate. He'd also added that once a year for a few days at most was all he could handle the three amigos for.

Now, came the sad bit. It was time for the goodbyes before they returned to their quasi-normal lives. Except this time, Peter and Bella would remain together in their little cottage in the woods in Sedona, with no one the wiser about what had occurred… how close the world had come to absolute chaos.

Hugs were shared all around, and secret smiles, too, as eyes took in the new confidence in Edward as he held his Charlotte's hand, pressing a kiss to her forehead or cheek, before at the last moment wrapping his arm around her waist, making her blush.

A year, Bella thought to herself, a year and they'll be married. She winked at Charlotte and laughed as she was engulfed in another hug, this time from Emmett. For a fairy, the man was a damn bear when it came to hugs.

Before long, all the goodbyes to be had were said, and before them, stood their allies, their fighters. With a nod and a smile, they stood down from duty, and one by one they faded from sight.

And Bella and Peter watched, Peter's arm wrapped around her waist, and Bella's head on her Peter's chest, before they turned and walked back inside.

"Finally," Peter sighed as he flopped down onto the couch. "Look at this! An empty house, can you believe it?"

Bella chuckled and sat beside him, curling up into his side.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" he asked her.

She looked up at him, eyes twinkling. "Now? We live out the rest of our forever… maybe try to be normal."

Peter snorted. "Normal? With this body?" He gestured down his body. "Impossible, baby."

She laughed and kissed his cheek. "As normal as we can, then."

"Hmm," he sounded almost contemplating. Then his finger was under her chin as he turned her face toward his. He leaned closer. "And now?" he breathed.

Bella hummed and leaned in to kiss her man. "Now, I want you to bend me over this couch and fuck me."

Peter breathed out. "You know, I think I could really get used to this normal business."

Bella giggled. "See? It just takes a little practice."

"Well, we've got time."

"Yeah… forever."

And in their little cottage, two mates kissed and came together in a culmination of gripping hands and grinding bodies to their earth-shattering completion, both relieved that they succeeded and would now have forever to live out their happy lives with one another… hopefully in peace.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: We own nothing but the plot. Reviews appreciated. Happy reading.**

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><p><strong>~o0o~<strong>  
><strong>~ Epilogue ~<strong>  
><strong>~ By Spudzmom ~<strong>

Bella sighed in exasperation as she picked up yet another toy from the staircase. How was she to get the house ready for guests when she was constantly picking up after their rambunctious boys? It certainly wasn't leaving her the time to get all the food ready, that was for sure. At least she'd already made most of it. All she needed to finish, really, were the finger foods that she wanted to set out so that no one would starve before dinner.

It was a special day and she really wanted everything to be perfect. It was the first time that their Phoenix group would reunite completely and she couldn't be more excited. They had tried in all the years past, but it just hadn't worked out. This year, everyone would make it. Pete's parents were coming too and that just added another layer to her nerves, but in a good way.

She glanced up the stairs at the trail of Lego blocks and growled. "Peter! Where are you?! It would certainly be nice if you could keep track of your sons so that I can get things ready for our guests!"

She saw him poke his head out of his study, a smirk on his gorgeous face, his vivid blue eyes shining with mirth. "Baby, I was just catching up with Jasper. What were you saying?"

She sighed and hung her head, her hands on her hips as she stared down at the carpet, praying for patience. She loved the men in her life more than anything, but it was days like today that tempted her to hang them from hooks on the wall. "I said…" her head snapped up as the smell of smoke reached her sensitive nose and her eyes widened. "Shit!"

She spun and took off for the living room, praying that it wasn't what she feared. She heard Pete and Jasper follow just as she skidded around the corner, a cry of dismay leaving her. "Petey! What have you done?!"

The little five year old replica of his father looked down in shame as he toe'd the rug, his hands clasped behind his back. "I didn't mean to mommy. It's just that Jaden made me so mad! He took my truck, even though he has his own, and wouldn't give it back!" He now looked outraged and she sighed as she crossed the room and picked up three year old, dark-haired Jaden whose bright blue eyes were busy taking everything in as Uncle Jasper put out the fire on the couch and his daddy picked up his brother.

Pete reached for his other son. "Give him to me baby. I'll set up their games for them in the play room and come back and help with the mess." He took Jaden in his other arm, gave his distraught wife a sweet kiss and headed up stairs to settle his sons.

She looked at the scorched couch in despair. How the hell was she supposed to entertain guests now? The sound of Jasper's calm voice brought her from her morose thoughts.

"Got a large throw Bells? A spell or two and the smoke smell will be gone and then we just cover it with the throw. No one the wiser. It'll do for now anyway, until you can get it replaced."

She smiled a small, grateful smile. "You're right, and besides, all our guests, with the exception of Pete's parents, are used to our weirdness."

He smirked. "Yep. I still remember that first fire I had to put out…"

She pointed her finger. "That's about enough from you I think." Then she couldn't help it, she cracked a smile and then laughed. "I'll be damned if the sacrifice of that lamp wasn't worth it and much more besides." She sighed at the memory. "It was just… and he was…"

Jasper held up a hand. "Whoa there darlin". Just stop right there! I really don't need the details." He laughed as she blushed, a smile on her face.

"Fine, you chicken. But it was…"

He walked out quickly, fingers in his ears. "La,la,la! I can't hear you!"

She laughed and yelled after him. "You brought it up mister!"

She turned as Alice walked in with a bag of last-minute groceries. "Brought what up Bells?"

Bella stared off into the distance, thinking to herself how perfect her life was and how blessed she was, despite the frustrations. She smiled a soft smile as she looked at Alice. "Memories Ali… Just sweet memories."

~ Fin


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